Sharp County record., 1888-08-16
IIALE'S TRIAL.

he 0prlhgHGlu hO.) LepuOlitah
contained the following comments
on the trial of Lee Uales, who killed
brakeman in difficulty on a pass
enger train near Hardy, about two
weeks ago, and who stood trial
and was acquitted;
"The examining trial of Hale, the
murderer of Charlie Burks at Hardy,
Ark, was, as predicted by the Re,
publican's Hardy correspondent, a
farce and travesty upon justice, an
outrage so black in its character that
the crime Of the redNhanded assassin
sinks into insigniiicance beside it.
In the face of overwhelming proof
of the mans guilt, against the array
of facts piled up which showed him
beyond doubt the willful slayer Of
poor Burks, the cowardly unnamable
who sat upon the bench turned Hale
loose and he goes forth a free man
nnder the law.
The evidence given yesterday in
defense was but the perjured testi-
mony Of ruhians and outlaws. Moth
ing was in reality offered in rebuttal
of the testimony Of the prosecution,
and in fair minded court the prison
er would have been held without
bail to answer for his crime. In
stead, just before the close brother
of Hale arose in the court room, and
tourishing a revolver in one hand,
declared that "by Cd" there was
no testimony against his brother and
he had to be acquitted. Like demon
strations came from at least fifty
low browed rutfilans, who crowded
the town and court room, and the
now thoroughly terrorized man who
occupied the bench perforce nodded
assent to all that they said. When
the farce of a trial had ended he
announced that "under the evidence
he would be bound to convict Hale,
but according to the law in the case
the prisoner was not guilty, and be
therefore ordered his discharge .
With unblushing effrontery he then
descended from the bench and con-
graduated the murderer on his &C
quittal.
Last 1;gilct al Hardy the par room
den of Hale's saloon was the scene
of a wild orgie. Whisky flowed
like water and the rufians took pos
session of the streets, swearing ven-
geance upon all who opposed the
finding of the court or any brakeman
who would in future dare order one
of them from a car, even though he
was drunk and had refused to pay
his fare. Every one of BurK S
friends had to leave town to save
themselves from violence and the
place was given over to the reign OF
the outlaw gang.
The trial is a disgrace upon the
name of the state of Arkansas that
will be lasting. That she permits
within her borders set or gang of
unprinciplcd ruffians who include
under their control even courts of
Justice, is fact that will be spread
far and near, and will deter immi-
grants from seeking homes within
her borders.
Mayor Walker telegraphed Gov.
Hughes last night invoking his au-
thority to see justice done, and it
may be some way can yet be devised
to punish the so-called "judge," If
not the slayer of young Burks.
The RECORD will say, backed by
the statement Of Sheriff Hall and
others who were present at the trial,
that the Dove is gross cxaggera~
ton, if not a succession of lies, from
first to last. The opinion of the writer
of the above as to the trial being a
"farce and travesty upon justice, "
does not amount to anything, but
we know, in the first place that there
were no pistols fourished in the
court room nor threats made; there
were not fifty persons interested i'll
the trial, unless thirty of them were
in Springfield; there is no saloon at
Hardy, nor elsewhere in the county;
Hale and his friends were not on the
streets at night after the trial; Burks
friends left Hardy on their special
train long before night, waving a red
| flag from the rear car at the crowd
on the depot platform; and none OF
Burks' friends were in town at night
subject to "yiolence," except it were
the depot agent and operator, who
is doubtless the "Hardy correspond
ent" the Republican refers to.
IN