The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-10
A PROPER VERDICT.

In these days of peculiar verdlcts the
wires bring news of one which will be ap-
plauded by all who have followed the case
since last summer, when kINCAID, a news
paper correspondent, shot down in the
capitol Representative TAULBEE, of Ken
lucky. The trial. which has been going on
for the past ten days. ended in verdict of
acquittal, and everybody who is familiar
with the facts will say that the jury did
right in setting the accused free. TAUL-
BEE, in addition TO being member of
Congress, was good deal of a bully. He
was a powerful fellow, and prided himself
on being "a gentleman from Kentucky,
sahr' KINCAID, an effeminate, sickly, cor
respondent, two or three years before the
shooting unearthed a scandal in which the
Congressman figured, and as was his duty,
sent the matter to his paper. Thereafter
TAULBEE literally prosecuted the news
paper man, threatening, insulting and
abusing him on all occasions and now and
then used violence against the weak and
trembling correspondent. KINCAID did
more than most men would have done 70
avoid a row. He submitted to the insults,
because he was no match physically for his
bully prosecutor; he went out of his way to
escape TAuLBEE; he did everything, in fact,
except to apologize for doing his duty to
his paper and the public and that
he would not do. Finally, after
months of persecution which had driven
him almost to the verge of madness, he
learned that TAULBEE had made threats
against his life. Then it was that he pro-
cured pistol, and meeting his prosecutor,
shot him down, thing which he would
have been justified in doing long before.
The jury says he did right. His newspaper
should at once promote him as q reward
for putting a quietus upon one of a class
the members of which too seldom meet the
fate of KINCAID's victim.
There are in this country too many men
VINO assume that newspaper correspond
ents and reporters are proper subjects for
abuse and maltreatment. They take pains
to annoy the reporter, and if the latter
shall be so faithful to his employers and so
courageous as to tell the truth about these
DULLES in matters in which the public
is interested, then the Door news
paper yellow must arm in self-defense
or submit to indignities and insults. The
good and worthy member Of society rarely
has real cause for complaint against a re-
porter. AS class the latter are anything
but vindictive vicious or malicious. They
are the brightest and best of fellows
whole-souled, jolly and generous, trying Il
be on good terms with everybody deserving
of respect, and making war upon nobody
through personal hate or dislike. If the!
sometimes hurt the feelings Of people it i:
the fault Of the latter and not of the re
porters, who have duty to perform in col
Getting news and giving it to the public il
attractive form. If they tread upon th
oes Of the TAULBEEs now and then it is be
lause the toes are exposed and not by tn
efforts or connivance of the reporters.
That correspondents and reporters d
not oftener resent in an emphatic name
the indigni:ies upon them by the bullie
and rascals may be to the credit Of the fra
ternity, but it is equally to the credit c
the newspaper fellow who now and the
Furnishes the desperadoes who abuse hi
because they think they are licensed to d
SO and because they believe they will nc
DO opposed in 1t.