Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-01-16

some time ago, has been employed by
Custer county to take care Of Muir
derer Lehman, paid high compliment
| to the CHRONICLES prowess as mouldel
Of public opinion, in the course of hii
remarks Tuesday afternoon. However
he won no sympathy for himself or hi'
red handed client. by his heaping of in
suit and vituperation upon the people
of Custer county, and this city especi
ally. The citizens of Custer county GER
tainly have their views in regard to the
Lehman case they have their opinions
Of the man himself, but they have not
been formed by newspaper articles
Their views and opinions are based
upon knowledge of facts, unobscured
by even the shadow of ambiguity
which, like Banquosg ghost refuse to down
though the crime itself is an event of q
decade now past. Despite MIR. Bnell's
reckless representations, and the com
ments of certain members of the Black
Hills press, We take this opportunity to
assert without qualification. that there
never has existed, and does not now
exist: in the breasts of the citizens OF
this community, prejudice against the
man Lehman, or thirst for his blood
True it is that there is feeling of popu-
lar indignation, and for its creation and
present existence, the attorneys of John
b. Lehman can hold themselves and
no one else. responsible. Two years
and six months ago Lehman shot and
killed JAS. Burns, an officer Of the law
He was arrested, tried and found guilty
A motion for new trial was asked and
granted. For one long year the muir.
derer occupied cell in the county
prison, and the people waited patiently
and uncomplainingly-not to see Leh.
man hung, but to have the case disposed
of as the law provides. At the close oi
the year the second trial was had, and
once again twelve good men said
the prisoner was guilty as charged, and
hCbAthSO at uCaAhs NJ tble
time young Buell. was employed by the
county to conduct the defense. He had
a reputation and fortune to make, and
he proceeded to exert himself to secure
it at Custer county's expense. He has
succeeded in winning a reputation, but
it isn't an enyiable one even when
judged from the standpoint ofa criminal
lawyer. He took an active part in the
second trial, and when il resulted in q
conviction, he took the case to the su.
preme court, which body refused to in.
tcrfere with the action of the lower
, court. The people Of Custer county are
as a class peace loving and law abiding.
They readily grant to every member OF
society, charged with a criminal offense
his right to avail himself of every pro.
vision Of the law which may assist him
in establishing his innocence. Lehman
had had the benefit of all of these. but
Buell. was not satisfied. He raised the
question of his clients sanity, and in
stead of then demanding the calling OF
sheritf's jury to settle 1t, he took il
before the board of pardons. Certainly
Buell., young as he was, knew that this
was not properly done. The board re-
fused to consider the case-the CHRoN
IcLE predicted such result two or three
weeks before the board met. 1t was at
this time Lehman's attorneys betrayed
the fact that they were afraid to have
their case tried on it's merits and dis
posed Of with the pi iomptness which the
spirit Of the law insures, and it was then
that the indignation Of the people of
Custer county became most pronounced.
Lehman was guilty, he didn't have the
bruins and mind ofa scholar, but be had
enough to make him responsible for his
actions. His lawyers were aware Of this
fact and they sacrificed everything to
secure little more time. A combina-
ton of unfortunate circumstances favor
ed them, and three times was the exc
cution of the sentence postponed. You
know the rest. Another page Of the
CHRONICLE of this week contains an ac-
count of it. Lehman's case should have
been disposed of long ago. 1t mattered
not to the people of Custer county
whether he filled felon's grave. num-
Der in the state penitentiary. or place
in the hospital for the insane. They
had no desire to see an innocent man
executed, or an irresponsible one pun
ished in any way. They wished for
justice, nothing less, nothing more, and
that with becoming speed. 1t speaks
we'll for the citizens of Custer county
that they have not allowed their indig-
nation to overcome their better Judge
ment. 1t is delay, unnecessary, un-
called for and unlawful that has tend
ency to rob the law of its dignity, which
creates disregard for its mandates, and
results in the disgraceful yet decided
demonstrations Of the mob.