The Osceola times., 1886-06-26

oDSah ASAafft ? OAtNNioh, 10 otiC Vs W
many electioneering lies rcsorted I
by Nj. Edrington's party every tw
years, and tho parties named BY hi'
as witnesses belong u his cliqn,
and, OF course, have the same fcelin
towards me tina, he himself enter
tains.
And now for the examining com
mittee. Mr.. E's allusion 10 then
has given me an opportunity to sho,
them up in their proper light. A
the November term Of the Circui
Court it became the duty of Judg'
Cate to appoint committee to in
vestigate the books OF the diiferen
collecting officers Of The county, and
the judge being stranger, in thi
county, applied to the prosecuting
attorney To recommend three persons
suitable to fill that position, and tl,'
consequence was that j. w. Rhodes
B.L. Hill and James Schnabcl, tlre,
Of my must bitter political and per
sonal enemies, were appointed with
out regard to qualifications, an,
wholly Incompetent to perform th'
duties required Of them.
This committee occupied the wlm..'
three weeks allowed by law To per
form their duties. in examining M,
accounts in the hope of finding some
thing against me, but they soon wen
beyond their depth, as tI,sir absurd
report shows. anl was detected in ne
less than fIty-ihree errors by til,
grand jury; aud the aliusion to tho
forced balances on the county rec.
ortls, also the statement by Mr.. T.
that they were in the hand writing
Of Itobt. Dean, my confidential de.
psty land for a short time deputy
clerk) ! will say that Mr.. Dean va.
employed in the clerks Office from
the first Of February, 1884, to Octo.
ber ~, of the same year, and that
during that time th.. settlements tor
1882 and 1883 were approved by
Judge Semmrs, one Of the best ac-
countunts in Mississippi county, and
the forced balances do not all appear
in Mr.. Deans handwriting, but are
in different handwriting from taa,
Of Mr.. Bscchus, the then clerk. Mr..
Cohen, another goo,l accountant, who
assisted In mailing up tho settlement,
aud also that Of Sir. Deans. Judge
Se,nrrrs, Mr.. Bacchus, Mr. Dean
aud Mr.. Cahen, will Ill testify that
no such forced balances appeared on
the books at the time tile settlement
was made and approved. And in
every instance when a forced bal
ance appears, an ,crasure also np.
pears, aud figure substituted for
the oue erased viii, an evident at.
tempt to initiate the han lwritlny of
the original. And now | will leave
it to the candid reader tn surln,c
what | should gain bv the aforesaid
forced balances # made after had
paid over all moneys with which ]
stood charged. Mr.. Edrington says
that ] have played democrat to the
democrats, and republican to the
republicans. This is utterly false
IL is true that ! have carried ma
jority Of the republican, votes OF the
county, aud they well knew when
casting their VOTES tina, they were
voting for a democrat, aud gave me
their support not On account OF pol
itics but because ] allowed no pref.
udice to sway me ia the discharge OF
my official duties. Mr.. Elrington
might have also ad,le | that ] al~
received majority Of the democrat
&c votes uf my county on the same
principle. lie also says that am a
turbulent character. This assertion
is made from the simple reason that
l have always refused to submit to
the bullying Of Mr.. E,irington and
his clique since became citizen
Of Osccola. During the four wear,
preceding my election as sheriff n,
less than four assas,inatious took
place in this county, and not one o!
the assassins was apprchcnled by
Sheriff Driver. One Of the assa>sins
! arrested while acting as city mar,
shal. ] brought him back to this
county and turned him over to Mr.
Driver but he was allowed to max,
his escape and is yet at large. Two
of the Others ! have since captured
and they are now serving oat long
terms in the peniteniiary.
! cannot close without referring
to Mr.. Edrlngton's statement that a
jury of my own selection, under the
instructions Of the court, had found
me guilty. Mr.. +. knows this to bs
false, as ! nor none oi my deputies
had anything TO 20 with selecting
the jury.
When the jury which tried m,
case was ordered the regular pane
had been discharged and another
panel ordered. When the depu,,
was summoning the jury he was told
by Mr. Dean Ia summon all lega
jurors as he came to them and to
pass by none. as the law directs
This was reported to the prosecuting
attorney at once, who lost no time in
reporting to the judge that Mr.. Dcar