Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-04

I
men around him IN al alteration
with a citizen, both Of them angry; I
saw that same officer, in q state Of the
greatest anger and rage, draw a pistol
in the most threatening manner In the
midst Of that crowd. In that condi-
tion Of affairs, without the least anger,
/ took the gun from the officer, and
stepped between him and the man
with whom he was qusrreling. told
the officer he ought to have better
sense than to draw his gun in = crowd
like that and on q man who was not
armed. / then handed the officer
back his gur and told him to put il in
his pocket. l then took out of the
crowd the man with whom the ofncer
was having the row. This is In sub
stance the whole of my connection
with this trouble.
Now, a word for some of my friends
or those who pretend to be my
friends-wbo took so much interest in
my case. The attorney who prosecut-
ed me, for one, came to me on thesame
day that / was arrested, and told me
how sorry he was that he had TO pros
ecute me, and be hoped 1 would be
acquitted, Then, almost in the same
breath tells me that my own evidence
would convict me, and went even so
far as TO say that jackson would have
been justified In shooting the man
he was quaTreling with and myself,
making this talk in the hearing Of
persons on thestrset. In other words,
trying my case on the street when II
had been set for trial at the proper
place, which looked like be was try
ing 10 create . prejudice against me on
the street. told him that IL would
look better for him to try my case Ia
court.
Now, Mr.. Editor, claim aud admit
that every person hAs the light to have
his own opinion in regard to this mat
ter, and NJ doubt some of my best
friends may think did not do exactly
right, but hardly think il is the fair
thing, after 1 bave submitted TO the
law. and been tried by q jury eOmpOs-
lsd-of six of cur best citizens, who say
by their verdict that / have done
right, for the editor Of the JOURNAL
TO take the advantage, because be has
the means to do 50, and publish to the
world his private opinion IN regard to
this case. He is q man whom 1 have
always counted - one Of my best
friends, and 1 will do so yet, for l do
think that Brother Gordon has been
il fiuenced in this mat er by s1me of
my over Jealous friends, who have
taken SO much interest In my case.
This lie all will have to say in re
gard to this unpleasant matter, and
will leave it to all fair-minded citizens
10 cay how far Twas from doing my duty
as an officer when / was preventing
what I thought would be the death Of
one of our best citizens.
Respectfully,
w. d. SMITH.
There will be 10 controversy be
tween Mr.. smith and the editor Of
this paper over the matters involved
In the above communication. We will.
however, take exception TO his charge
that this paper tried and convicted
him, ~ this is something that we stu-
diously avoided, making no ment on
Of even the alleged facts in the case
until after the case had been disposed
Of by the proper tribunal, and then
confining the recital Of what occurred
mainly to his own testimony. II is
usual for newspapers 10 edii0T.sl'y
express opinions on matters Il public
interests, and following this line o.
modern journalism, we express, ours
70 the effect that Mr.. Smith should
have been found guilty OF the offensr
charged, not so much to punish him
as to establish healthy prectd, ut In
the matter Of unwsrrsn:abIe interfer-
ence with peace officers in IN dis
charge Of their duty. Had this pin-
ion been expressed in advance Of the
trial, we would have been open to the
charges made by Mr.. Smith. but as We
had carefully avoided thi-, we are MT
Whether or not The opinion We ex-
pressed is SHARED by many or few IN
this community, Il i still our aonest
belief, and the express Ou of it relates
only to the abstract question Of the
rights and wrongs uf the case, and has
no personal relation whatever to the
individuals ,oncs rned With she
highest pgtrd f.r Mr.. Sui'h ~ an
officer aud 81 maI, 20 u nevertheless
true that had the editor OF TINS paper
sat or The jury that t,ied his case, his
verde, would have been guilty"
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