Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-04-15
TIE McGRATH EIGHT

We haYe received many letters in re-
gard To the VIncent-McGrath fight,
which we have not published. We have
never believed McGrath guilty OF any
Of Tie charges. We nave repeatedly
stated that we believed him To be ali
honest man. lie has been investigated
and eAOneTated by the highest authorl-
~ known III the alliance. Ii he is
guilty, the different boards which i'll
NestIgated him are also guilty, which
unpreJudlced people Will be slow to be-
lieye. AS no charge has been sustained
OF seriously entertained against him,
We shall show him the respect TO which
his hlgh position entities him. The
only charge ever brought against him
was by persons outside OF the order anu
we question the policy of defending
hlSh officer against every slur that is
Cast at INN.
We think the following letter from
j. Is. French entitled to a careful read
ing, especially as the opposition has
newspapers i'll which to make the at
TACK:
ED. INDEX: Much has been said in
regard 10 The executive board OF the AL
lance playing false III the McGrath i'll
VesJlgaJloD. L wish TO give some addI-
Llonal history. All the evidence in re-
gard To the turner letter was in pos
SESSION OF three alliance men; they
should have preferred charges against
McGrath. That they did not, is proof
that they did not know enough to con-
wet him, or else they failed in their
duty.
McGrath asked for an investigation
and while this was going on, stories OF
Il sensational character and damaging
10 McGrath began to circulate in alb
ance circles here. l was told that
man, who was unknown to me, knew
some one else who said that McGrath
did certain dishOnorable things, dlsloy-
al to the alliance. had confidence in
the brother who told me, so / told the
stenographer to kill all the time he
could IN transcrlbiDg the evidence. The
stenographer did as L told him, and the
committee was kept waiting Finally
the time could be extended no longer;
the evidence was finished, and given to
the committee. They gave it to me.
certifying to its correctness. l looked
through 1T for the testimony confirming
the stories that had been so freely whiS,
pered in the corridors and Hobbies OF
the hotels, but did not find it. But I'M
mediately upon the publication of the
decision, bitter attack was made upon
the president, investigating committee
and executive board. BY whom was
this attack made2 BY the parties who
claimed that they could produce evil
dence, and did not do so. The investi-
CATION was continued ten days, during
which time but six witnesses were ex-
amined. / understand that the wit.
nesses, necessary to prove the truthful
ness of the stories circulated, were in
Topeka, but no evidence from said wit.
nesses were presented to the board. In
short, the alliance men who had the
evidence against McGrath, in regard Ia
the Turner letter, did not prefer charges
The constitution provides a way, and
it is contrary to the spirit of our order
to convict member without trial.
The parties who had the evidence to
prove other things did not present it Ia
the committee, when given ample OPP
pOrtunity to do SO. Immediately upon
the adjournment of that committee,
they attack that body for not giving
a verdict in accordance with charges
which were never presented, and upon
testimony WHICH was only whispered
rs hearsay upon the streets and In the
hotel Hobbies. 1t is said that a lady
witness testified to certain things be-
fore the committee. The committee
held its session in my Office. saw re
lady witness brought here, neither did
l find such testimony among that given
me by the committee.
Every opportunity was given for the
presentation of that testimony. 1t was
not introduced. The parties who pos
sess 1t, and who claim that they could
have presented it then, now complain
because McGrath was not convicted.
and charge the board with surpressinp
evidence. positively deny having any
evidence IN my possession which / sup
pressed, or iG any way altered or chang
ed. know or no witnesses having
been presented to the investigating
committee except s. w. Chase. DR.. Nc
Lallln. S. ID. McGavran, IL. Vincent.
Frank McGrath and myself. did not
see lady witness nor hear her testi-
plony. Respectfully. J.B. FRENCH.