Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-25
CANNON,s EXCESSIVE BALL."
Mayor Armstrong Still Aicklns,
But Nevertheless the Bond VIII
Have to be Paid.

For some reason or other the question
of the $4,000 Cannon bonds did not
come into court this morning. The pres
ence of LIE Grande Young, Esq, Cannon's
principal attorney, was taken as conclu-
sive evidence that the case would be
brought up for some disposition, and
when Treasurer Jack was seen to enter
the courtroom with an attorney sus-
picion at once fastened itself in the minds
of those present that the Church money
bags would forever end the controversy
over the bonds. In this, as we'll as
in every other respect, there was
disappointment. 1t is understood that
Armstrong, while he has not altogether
abandoned his intention of testing the
question in the Supreme Court OF the
United States, has certainly weakened
little, and has been heard to express the
opinion that the fight should have been
made on the $25, 1000 bond, as the otner
two are so much less excessive,
Mr.. EIdredge is decidedly averse to
entering upon any contest, and has IN
quired, it is understood, whether ne may
be permitted to pay one-half of the
amount of the bonds and let Mayor Arm
strong carry on the fight alone. This,
however, is thought to be entirely out Of
the question. The matter will in all
probability be held over until the $25, 1000
is paid to the court, when it will be taken
hold of in earnest.
The attitude of Armstrong is severely
censured by many of the honorable Nor
mon business men, and not by anyone
more unqualifedly than General Ed
redge, who desires to have the obligation
discharged in peace.
District Attorney Dickson was asked by
DEMOCRAT reporter whether there was
even a ghost of chance for Armstrong to
evade the payment of his obligation on
the bonds.
No." said Mr.. Dickson, emphatically;
che has no chance whatever. The talk
about exorbitant bonds is all nonsense,
and 1 haven't patience to discuss it,
"Is it a matter of general practice"
asked the reporter, "to take into consid-
Grafton, when fixing bail, the character
of the ofense and the extent of the PEN
atty, and gauge the sureties accordingly"
ooh, of course those matters are not
ignored by any means; but the true
object in the matter of fixing sureties is
to place the bond sufficiently high to
secure, beyond reasonable doubt, the
attendance of the party at the time de-
sired; but it is provided also, that in fix
ing the bail the same must not be so
great as to be out of all possible reach of
the individual, and this is the principal
consideration of the law, as it is sought to
guarantee means by which parties
charged with violations of law may
obtain their liberty pending trial; but in
providing this privilege the law does not
in any extent contemplate disestablishing
or in any wise weakening courts facili-
ties for insuring the attendance of the
accused"
"You are aware, though, that in the
Cannon case the bonds are thought, by
the Mormons, at least, to be unprece-
dentedly high"
"The proposition is absurd in the face
of Cannon's skipping. His failure to APP
pear for trial is direct and positive evil
dence that the bonds were not high
enough. If the amount had been too
much for him to furnish it would then
have been truly exorbitant, and the court
WOuio he1NC edhCH CSSlilLduCS VI Guc ldCG.
So far as presidents are concerned, re-
in the Sharon-Hill case in San
Francisco, several of the witnesses who
were indicted for perjury were held in
$4,000 sureties each, and were only OBJ
scure individuals, too. The bonds were
placed high because it was feared the
parties would be put out of reach, and
Cannon's were regulated by the same
conditions. Again, in Illinois, at the
elections of 1874, some of the parties
guilty OF fraud were required to furnish
bail in the sum Of $4,000, for a similar
reason. Mr.. Cannon or his friends
should hesitate to complain of excessive
bonds when it is evident to everybody that
his were not sufficiently large to hold
him. At all events they will find that
the bonds are solid and will stand every
test"