Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-12
COYNE'S EPISTLE.

The Irrepressible and Mueh-Trted
Real Estate individuals Brilliant
Literary Effort Before the County
Board.
In it, review of the county board pro.
ceedings yesterday. the ARGUS spoke of
petition from w. L. CoYne to the board
to refund him the costs, ETC., advanced
by him in his numerous criminal cases.
The literary effort with which Coyne ac-
companies his plea is amusing and it is
appended in full:
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of Rock
Island County:
Enclosed herewith you
will pie ase find my bill against Rock ISL
and county for amounts due me. which
amounts | was wrongfully compelled to
paw by the circuit clerk of said county OF
Rock Island, Z. II. Bowman, in the case
of the People VS. W. l.. Coyne. tried In
the circuit court at the January term, A.
D., 1887 | also attach hereto vouchers
for the same.
The causes which led to these pay
ments being made by me and with which
many If you may be familiar, or rather
the peculiar circumstances by which l
was forced to pay the different amounts
mentio ned herein are as follows:
A cons pirscy and blackmailng scheme,
the instigstors of which were Adair
Peasants and Edward II. Guyer as attor>
neys, together with Henry Fluegel,
German convict, as principal and tool,
and others and a number of witnesses
composed of common drunkards, con-
victed thieves and poorhouse graduates,
eliminated in my trial and con-
viction on criminal charge IN the
circuit court of Rock Island county
in January, 1887, for the simple
reason hat would not convey to these
self-sty ed good citizens and protectors of
public morals a farm of three hundred
acres in Scott county, Iowa, or in lieu
thereof to follow the illustrious example
of the renowned Zacheus and come down
with ten thousand dollars. An appeal
was tai en- to the supreme court, who not
only promptly reversed the verdict of the
intelligent jury, but said that the case
had had all the ear marks of fraud, and
was clearly a lawyers scheme to enrich
themselves by first robbing me of my
liberty that afterwards they might more
easily rob me of my property, and so
wordeo their opinion as to make 1t lm>
possible for the case to be tried again
without convicting the very parties who
were 50 actively engaged in pushing it
against me.
When my appeal was taken and q
supercedess granted, a full record of the
case hal to be prepared and certified to
I. - IL De- ha-
fore it could be presented in the supreme
court. This the obliging Mr.. Bowman
refused to do until l had first paid him
the full amount of all costs accrued in
the case until that time-S2O5. 80. He
then still refused to act until l had 10
pay the court stenographer S2SS.-
IS for record. put it into
Mr.. 8Owmans hand, and then
again pay him, Bowman, 1921 80
for the same record before he would at
tsch bis certificate, without which it
would not be received in the supreme
court.
Since that time this particular case.
together with all others that had their
talented coterie of bsrnscles, have been
stricken from the records of this county
public morals, which at one time promised
them such harvest, are today too dead
for a IT surrection.
Some gentleman here may feel like
asking why did not refuse to pay these
bills, and the answer to that is. that there
is but limited time allowed in which to
get your record, abstract and brief on file
in the supreme court, and as time was an
element of more Importance than money
or anything else at that time 10 me. paid
the county's bills, charged them up and
now most politely request the pleasure of
a settlement. Respectfully.
W. l. CoYNE
In connection with this classic docu-
ment, Coyne submits the following ex-
hibit:
Rock ISLAND, July 10 1899.
Rock Island County, TO ". L. Coyne, debtor.
To costs paid in case OF the People vs.
W. i. Coyne, tried Jan, 1885, Re
yerssd by supreme court and after.
warts stricken .--......... ..--..--.-- 40 81
To cost Of record in same case paid TO
Circuit Clerk E II Bowman. 22l 90
NOR p, - ...-.....-. 2ss IS
To abstract in same case ............-.-. lis %
To docket fee and costs in supreme court - 90
To eight per cent interest on sos. 80 and
cost from March 81, 1887 TO July 10,
1859 ...--.---..----- o. -
| To eight per cent interest on Sci 60.
amount paid for record, from March
/, 1887, TO July 10, 1889 .......----.- IL 81
To eight per cent interest on S2SS-45 paid
To tlakemore. court stenographer,
TO July 10. 1889 .-...-..-...... ..---. 81 70
To eight per cent interest on Sis from
August 4. 1887, to July 10, 1889,
smOi n paid for abstrs t.--....-.-.. Is "a
To eight per cent interest on S2i.6O
dock At fee from August T. lSs7, to
T,,al................... .t1.O1S So