Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-10-22
a ouEER PROCEEDINH


EDITOR INDEX: In order that the people
may have some idea of County Attorney Cam
eron's zeal to see the law enforced. and wrong
doors punished, we desire to state few facts
in regard to case that he had something to
do with in Haze.ton very recently. About six
years ago J. C. Tyler purchased q quarter of
land near Hazelton. paying $500 cash and as
| summing $50 due the government. He paid
800 of the amount due the government, and
made tender eff the other $50: but a short
time before the last $50 was due the govern
ment, or about two years after Tyler bought
| the land, there was q lot of worthless robbers
settled here, and started into filing contests on
| land in this vicinity. Among the number was
| Mrs. Chandler and her three boys. She filed
| a contest on the Tyler land; consequently the
| government refused the last payment of $50.
| From that time to some time last July the mat
| ter has been dragging along in the land de-
partment. In July the land was Cancelled.
During all this time Tyler has been living on
the land and has made lasting and valuable
| improvements, but on receipt of the news that
the land was cancelled. Mrs. Chandler, true to
her instinct to get something for nothing,
loaded up her household goods on the 18th of
August, and went to take possession of the
land. Tyler met her at the gate and forbid
/ iSI ColulHk ou TUG PldC6 u1llI eHe COulQ SHOW
some authority. She had two of her boys with
| her, the youngest about Is. On being refused
admittance by Tyler, she took her Ratchet from
| the wagon and drove Tyler from the gate
went in, and made her self at home Tyler
instead of filling the whole lot of them with
buck shot, as he had right to do, had them
arrested for tresspass. The county attorney,
| Mr.. Cameron, was sent for and after several
days, managed to get to Hazelton, to prose
cute, after counseling with defendants attor-
ney and some of defendants friends he came
| in and wanted to dismiss the case; but was
| finally convinced that from the evidence that
was to be used and from the law, there was
sufficient grounds for the charges-but for
some reason, at that time, and very suddenly
too he found that he could not prosecute the
case, and appointed w. C. Afford to prosecute.
with instructions to take full charge of the
case, saying at the same time that he would
| not bother with it, as he had too much to at
tend to.
A trial was had, and resulted in hung jury.
The case was then set for trial on the eth of
October, the defendants selecting the time and
the prosecution consenting During the in
terval between the first and second trial we
learned that Cameron was in favor of the de-
PENDANTS. This of course cleared up his &C
| VIII ~ tAO HTel lTldls III wanting 10 DISMISS.
and finally quitting the case.
On the Sd or 4th of October Cameron wrote
to w. c. Afford, requesting him to see the jus.
tice, and get the case continued until after
the election. or until after the fair at Kiowa
at least, stating that he would be very busy
from now until the election. but he closed the
letter by saying for Afford to do as he thought
best in the matter. This letter the Justice and
several others read.
On the nth the case was called, and a list OF
IL jurors was made out by the defendants and
Afford. The case was then set for the 10th
the day after the fair. The jurors subpuued
to appear on that day were notified to be pres
ent on that day, as no further continuance
would be granted except for good cause. The
county attorney learned from defendants that
the case was set for the 10th. Then he wrote
letter to the court to continue ten DAYS
This the court did not do. The defendants re.
fused to appear in court, and were arrested
and fined for contempt. The trial was had
and the jury found them guilty on the first
ballot. They were committed to jail in both
cases; were taken to Medicine Lodge Saturday.
and the Judge released them on a writ of ha-
beas corpus. The constable's return states
that after full hearing of the case the Judge
ordered them released.
Now comes the question that ought to be
considered by the voters. Why did Cameron
not counsel with others besides the defendants
before he wanted to dismiss? Why should the
defendant friends say that the county attor-
ney was on their side, If he was honestly doing
his duty? Why should Mr.. Cameron turn the
case over to other parties and then try to de-
! feat the ends of justice by having the case
| continued from time to time? Why continue
the case until after the election unless he in
tended to dismiss, and was afraid to do it be
fore the election, after learning what the
voters thought of the accused? Why should
the constRble's return on the commitment
state that full hearing was had when Cam.
eron was present at the hearing. and knows.
If he was sober, that only one side-that of de-
fendants-was heard? The facts are that If
looks to great many as though Mr.. Cameron
was in league with claim jump ers and law
breakers. How any decent and law-abidinR
man can cast his vote for man as low down
| as Mr.. Cameron, is more than we can under
stand. just think for moment If Cameron
Will stand in with claim jumpers what may the
people expect as soon as the lawless element
learns that he Is on their side. How many Quar-
tiers OF land are there in Barber county that
| some devil in human form can't make trouble
over.