Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-05-23

County Attorney Shearer's Reply
to the Long Island Inter Ocean.
Mr.. EDITOR: 1t would seem from
the last issue of the Long Island m
ter Ocean that / am censured for the
way the S. p Lindley case was ar
ranged / find it is a hard matter to
suit every person, for If you stand
out against the wishes of the COM
munity you are censured, and If you
acQuiesce in their wishes you are
censured- I will say so far as this Of
fee knows or IS concerned, there was
several Overtures made by Mr. Lind
ley's friends for compromise and the
answers they got was it was our duty
to prosecute offenders Of the law, but
we said to them, talk to your people
who live at Long Island, who are in
terested IN stopping the liquor traffic
and If it is their wish to be charitable
towards Mr.. Lindley and they and
you make any reasonable arrange
menJ about the case, and it IS such as
my associate counsel Messrs. q. A
Lewis and O.. A. Spaulding and my
self can acquIesce in we will consider
it,. The day before the case was
called some twenty of the citizens of
Long Island came here and we was
informed by these people that Mr..
Lindley and his friends had made ar
engagements with them to pay up all
costs to the county, amounting to
| $4,000, and the case was by agree
ment to be continued one week with
Mr.. Lindley's own bond. I did not
want to be arbitrary but the bond up
on the continuance must be good
/ whatever amount it was. I first in
sisted on $4,000. but through the in
| fluence of both factions agreed to
$lOO 90 cash bond, which is now in
the school fund, with all the costs
paid, and the case still stands against
Lindley Just as it did. In reference
to the arrangements concluded on,
! before any action was taken I talked
with the Judge and he expressed a
wish that the arrangement would be
| agreed upon as for the best interests
of the county. / know nothing about
Mr.. Lindley's intentions, he did not
have to go away so far as this office
is concerned. Neither did we by
word, act or deed contribute to his
going away further than our duty
under the law, and if he wants to
come back he has our free and good
will to do so. IF the people would
stop and consider and not take sides
in the prosecution Of the prOhibitOry
law, and allow the officers to conduct
that class of cases the same as other
criminal cases, there would not be
such feeling worked up. The evl-
dence taken under oath and attached
2 to the information in this case show
ed that MIR. Lindley had violated the
law and any one can see it by calling
at the Clerks Office, and had Mr.
Lindley done as John Lowe did
owned up there is none that / know
= of but what would have been reason
able with him, for the object of the
law is, to stop the illegal traffic and
in this connection allow me to say
1 what has been the work of this Office
S since l took possession January II
- 1889, under the PrOhibiUOry law
E There has been through investigation
nine persons in the county cOmpelleC
5 to leave the county or quit the bust
t ness without arrest. Three person
y quit the traffic that have gone int
+, other pursuits. Four convictions
Cnf66 OF WnOm leu Gn6 county aLG6
serving out their time, and one acquitt
S ed by jury, $4,000 collected in fines o
IS forfeited bonds paid into the schOo
A. fund, and $4,000 RENTED by tn
. Governor, and on other forfeited
Il bonds there has been collected an,
IS turned to the school fund $4,000.
Query, What other County Attol
IS ney has done this much in a year an
! three months?
" do not claim to be more than OtE
e er men and as liable to err as othe
e men, but have endeavored to do m
t. duty, as I understand it, and in dOin
n so I feel if I have errored it has bee
on the side Of mercy.
Is r. 7. SHEARER,
is County Attorney.