Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-02-28

Gov. Larrabee, of Iowa, Under Indict ment
Governor Larrabee has been indicted for
criminal libel by the grand jury of Polk
county, Iowa. The governor said to re-
porter that the county attorney came to his
house on the 18th and informed him that
an indictment had been reached. He told
the attorney that he should be glad to have
the case called at once as he was ready at
any time to appear in court and answer to
the charge. He said that while the pro-
ceedings were apparently in the interests
of Mrs. Turney, the mother of Chester
Turney, the boy imprisoned at Anamosa,
yet there were other parties behind her who
were pushing the suit solely to annoy and
iniure him. Il am not at all surprised, !"
the governor is quoted as saying, that
this indictment was returned. Ihave been
kept informed of the efforts that have been
made in this direction, and as long ago as
December I was told by one of the attor-
neys for Mrs. Turney that if didn't par
don the boy there would be trouble made
for me. More than that, the railroads
have been giving Mrs. Turney free passage
to go over the state and work up sympa-
thy and feeling against me, and have no
doubt have been glad to help bring this
about. But when the attorney told me 1
would be much more comfortable if
would pardon the boy and thus avoid the
trouble told him that I was not discharg-
ing my duties with view to my personal
comfort, and had not SO far looked to my
own convenience in doing what 1 thought
was right, and should not begin to do so
now. I am ready to go into court at any
time, and am half disposed to be my own
lawyer. I don't especially blame Mrs.
Turney, as she is being used by others.
But / may feel it my duty now to make
some things public in court that have
kept back heretofore out Of consideration
for other peoples feelings.
AS to the published pamphlet upon
which the indictment rests, the governor
said it contained nothing except copies of
papers filed in his office, without a word
from him personally. He had received SO
many letters asking why he didn't pardon
Chester Turney, that he told his clerk to
gather up the remonstrances against par
don that had come from citizens of Pres
ton where the crimes were committed and
have them printed and send copy to
everyone who wanted to know the other
side of the case. To these remonstrances
were added letters from the district attor-
ney who prosecuted and the lawyer who
defended the boy, giving information bear
ing on the trial. He had sent copy of
this pamphlet to each member of the leg
islature since the Turney side was present.
ed to the legislature last winter, before
these circumstances were received, and he
wanted them to see that there were two
sides to the case. The statements con-
tanned in the remonstrances about Mrs.
Turney were not his own, but the state
ments of the former neighbors of the
woman where see had lived. These papers
were part of the public records on file in
his office. and he had loaned them several
times to people who wanted to know about
the case. Partly to preserve them from
being lost, he had them printed, so that a
printed copy could be given when wanted,
rather than the original copies.
When asked what he would do if he were
convicted, the governor laughingly replied
that he hadn't decided whether he would &c
to the penitentiary or pardon himself out.
A jury was secured and the trial began
in the district court of Polk county on the
21st.
The president on the 22nd approved the
bill to admit aslstates of the union, Wash.
ington, Montana, North Dakota and South
Dakota.