Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-05-14

failed to appear, and the discovery was
made that he had acted without warrant.
Mr.. and Mrs. Miller were honorably dis
missed. The constable was publicly re-
buked, but was protected from further
punishment by the intercession of lead
ing Prohibitionists.
THE BED OF DEATH VIOLATED.
Another victim of this species of fanat-
icism was family named Quinn. "Mr.
Quinn, whose wife," says the st. Louis
Republican, twas i'm the final stages of
dissolution from the effects of consump-
ton, was the victim of q visit from these
not to be taken away from his dying
wife, but without avail. He was dragged
before court where, upon explanation,
he was allowed to return home, only to
find that the shock of his arrest had
proved too much for his feeble wife, and
during his absence she had died."
THE ODD FELLOWS LODGE.
Outragesof this kind are of common oc-
currence in Iowa. During April and May,
1887, $50 searches were made in the city
of Des Moines, which, according to the
reports of the constables themselves,
were fruitless of results, save outrages to
the victim, and tees to the informers.
1000 search-warrants were issued and ex-
ecuted in Polk county, during the year
of 1886. Four-fifths of these were direct
ed against private dwellings, and not in
one case in 100 was anything unlawful
found or expected to be found. The war
rants were sworn out solely for the fees.
Scarcely day passes without searches
being made, and because the victims are
poor people the ruffians 60 scott-free.
The law, moreover, makes it a serious
thing to resist an officer, and an inno-
cent man must pocket insult and indig-
nifty, or find himself in Jail for resisting.
The grand juries, packed in the interest
of the informers, have wilfuliy ignored
all charges against the authors of these
outrages, and the Prohibition Attorney
General has been the adviser and cham
pion of the bruteS. Not content with
their misdeeds against individuals, the
constables have broken into the Odd
Fellows Lodges and the Des Moines
Club. and repeated in their halls the
vandalisms in private homes.
The fate of the Duerrs, of the Millers,
and of Mrs. Lacy, as we'll as that of Mrs.
where fanaticism rules.
BLACKMAII.
The records of the courts wherever
Prohibition has been IN force are records
of suits inspired by cupidity and hate.
Such records show action after action
dismissed through failure of the prose-
cutting witness-( the informer failure
paid for by the victim outside the court
room - -- --
In Iowa the compromise of suits thus
corruptly brought, has become so COM
mon and braZen as to call down the con-
domination of the Journals of the State.
A recent case illustrates the point. Twen-
tv-six actions were brought against sin
gle firm, the Messrs. Runnells, druggists,
of Des Moines. The entire twenty-six
suits were compromised by the payment
of $l40 to the attorneys for the State and
the fees of the Constables and Justices
without the consent of the courts. Had
the prosecution of these cases succeeded
half the fines would have gone to School
Fund which was defrauded by the settle
ment and the other half to the informer,
together with the fees to the court officials.
The compromise was therefore a practi-
cal admission that the suits were without
cause and levied for blackmail purely.
To the victims the compromise was the
cheapest way out. Such instances are the
rule and not the exception. The peace OF
the citizen is at the mercy of irresponsi-
bic and venal wretches. The law can
prescribe no penalty for the informer ii
he fails to establish his charge, nor can
I it provide any indemnify to the yicsim
of false accusation for expense and loss
of time. 1t requires no demonstration
to prove that law which gives the fees
and half the possible fines to the inform
er, directly encourages perjury.
One /. E. Pierson is president Of the
Temperance Alliance, of Des Moines, and
the high priest of Prohibition in Iowa.
His methods and the methods and char
acter of many of those whom Prohibition
brings to the front as tools, are well indi-
Gated in pamphlet by Judge G. q
Nourse, who was one of Persons prede-
cessors in the Presidency of the Tenn.
perance Alliance.
Judge Nourse saws: HHis (Pierson's
principal enterprise has been to watch
| the incoming of the monthly reports thai
| the law requires the druggists to make
| to the county auditor, and whenever by
! any misadventure their reports were de.
| layed few days beyond the time fixeC
| by law, Pierson brought suit agains
| them for the 500 penalty provided by
| the statute, then compromised for the
largest amount he could get out of the
defendant. In this way he has made
! hundreds of dollars for himself, and has
been able to support such an improved
! style OF personal appearance that it is at
tracing public attention and newspape
! comment"
/ PERJURY.
/ If further illustration were necessary
| it may be added that Frank Pierce, TIN
so.called right hand of the Prohibition
/ in Iowa is now under two indictment
for perjury. He was arrested by the Unite,
States authority for invading the post
Office. When brought into court he twic
4 swore that he had no money to procur
the attendance of witnesses in order tina
they might be summoned at Govern
! ment expense. At the time he so swor
Il he had $600in the bank: had just receive
from a single Justice of the Peace nearl
$500 in fees, for prosecutions under tn
! Prohibitory law, and had been above
$1,70O by the county as the fruits of hi
oCtrages upon the people. The expens
of summoning his witnesses to say
! which he twice perjured himself, wa
1 about twenty dollars. This is the ma
upon whose oath or bare assertion prop
erty has been confiscated, cruel brutal
ties inflicted, men imprisoned, ladie
locked up in cells with commo
prostitutes, and regulations smirchee
and i'm whose behalf redress for wanto
and cruel injuries have been denies
Such men are the legitimate outgrowtt
of laws which put premiums on perjur
by encouraging sneaks and infOrmer
If he would perjure himself twice Il
81 twenty dollars, would he not do it whei
ever there was an opportunity to make
fee.
Ia the blindness Of the fanatical zeal
the all powerful Prohibitionists sue
wfetches enjoyed practically the liber1
to DO anything they pleased, in the nan ar
of Prohibition, as we'll as absOIute lmml
4 uity for such acts. The grand juries, II
structed by the Prohibition leaders, +
fnSad even To mt the vretches on trit