Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-17
THE scASDALoUs PARSONS CASE.

who will not endorse the action OF the
court. They arc limited to the press
gang that opened the mess Of nastiness,
and two or three officials who have
Joined In the cndcavor to down the
Marshal. They have signally failed 20
far as this prosecution reaches, but
they may meet with more success In
the main object they had In view.
When such tales are told Of man M
those sworn to on the witness
stand In this case, certain amount
OF stigma Is sure to attach
10 him, no matter how improbable the
stories may be or how strong the
evidence In rebuttal. And this may
influence the Administration In refer
cnce to the Marshal. For, AN officer OF
this kind should be- above reproach, and
the bare suspicion that such acts NJ
those charged against him may
probably DO committed, islikely to work
against him aud 10 furnish suggestion
ofa change.
is this, we have no doubt, which
has been designed from the firss. TO
Gust thu Marshal aud put In some one
who would be more plant and would
better serve the purpose OF those who
sought his downfall, was the real end
IN view. Tho failure Of the criminal
proceedings will therefore cause but
small chagrin to his enemies II they
can but procure his removal.
This action Of the Commissioner Ia a
vindicatlon Of the grand Jury. That
body heard the stories Of the females
who were put forward, weighed their
character and reputation, saw that their
unsupported statements would not CON
vince an impartial jury, perceived that
by such testimony any man however
innocent would be unsafe II that was
sufficient to place him In Jcopardy, and
70 refused TO indlct. After n patient
hearing and a full opportunit to adj
duce all the evidence possible, the con-
clusion arrived at by the Commissioner
and the public Ia that no fair jury
would on such stories convict the ac-
cused.
This wholGbatch OF nth might have
been spared the public, but for the
eager anxiety OF tho "l.lbera" organ
TO get the Marshal elected from his
Office, and its natural love for that
which Is prnrient and vile. 80 far II
has accomplished nothing Of Its pur-
pose except TO sell few more papers,
regale the scandal.loving with appre'
clated diet, lind vent for malicious
and slanderous expressions, aud raise
an offensive and suspicious odor that
taints the very air.
Everybody, however, approves OF
the course OF Chief Justice Zane In
this matter. When such prominent
officials as the Governor and the Dis
trict Attorney laid the charges before
him, expressed their belief that they
were true aud informed him that many
Of tho grand jury were In favor OF nm
indictment, he could do no less than
order an Investigation. This Prose-
cutting Attorney had It his own
way. He selected the commissioner
to hear the case. He had an assistant
attorney. He had access 10 every
witness he wanted. He had the court
with him In restricting the defense on
vital point-the character Of thechief
witness against the accused; they
could bring In evidence against her
public reputation but nothing against
her personal character. Yet with all
these things In his favor, the District
Attorney could not make out a case
that would stand the test OF Jury.
The question may arise, now that
the Marshal has been acquitted, what
cause has he to sue his original nc-
cusers for damages? The damage lies
largely In the facts we have re-
lated and In the effects we have
described. II the stories that
have been made public are false, or II
there was no good reason why they
should be spread abroad, taintlng the
soclal atmosphere and arousing distrust
among people who may not hear but
one side, the victim Of malice aud
spleen is injured greatly and he should
have legal remedy. This will be for
court to decide, and the conclusion
should be reached without delay.
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