Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-11-24

!. ---r.------'------s-------~-
gal retailer of ardent spirits, and us
each train has rolled into our depot
for the last week it has been heavily
freighted with people summoned rs
witnesses or brought as prisoners in
Attendance upon this court.
The old sdage that "a now broom
aweeps clean,' was never better yeri.
led than in this ins tance, as the dep.
tiles have evidently gone into tho
by ways and hodges, and into the
mountain fastnessps of West Vir.
ginia. as well as those of tho Old
Dominion, aud literally spared Meth.
or sex nor condition with their sweep.
ing drag nets, as women, some with
nurslings ut their breasts, are found
among those brought hither to nssist
in vindicatiDg the awful majesty of
tho law of this great Govsr0snsns Of
ours, which boasts sos being 1 d s.iand
OF the FREQ and the sialns pff ssl;VI
brave" The sight withso fhg tosiss.
room is indeed pisiablss aud i ,gs,ulss
seem amusing were itlnot for The
hopeless, dejacted and poverty strick
ON appearance OF the minority of the
unfortunate wretohes. In contrast
between the sleek, we'll groomed OIL.
cials OF tho Government, tho attor.
neys oil both colors and tho prisoners
and witnesses is most striking, and
the iapidity aud general rush with
which Cases are disposed Of, which
means so much to tho poor devils in
torested and 30 little to these officials
causes habitues of tho hum. drum
court rooms OF our lesser courts to
stand aghast in wide wonder, willis,
tho culprit before he is fully aware
that his cnse is on, hears tho drend.
tul words, hundred dollars Hue aud
thirty days in jail."
The clerks have doubtless become
hardened to such acenos, as we'll as
tho attorneys, and exhibitions of
either gentlenoss or patience arc rare
indeed. The oaths arc administered
and Jurors sworn with "Nancy
hanks gait, with volubiity and
mechanical articulation that would
excite tho edvy of a job lot auction
eer or patent medicine fuker, while
the trembling wretohes stand in
dumb array.aghast at their surround.
ings, and terror stricken.
A singular feature of tho proceed
ings is tho lnrge number of acouit.
tals. Prisoners against whom there
is practically no evidence OF guilt,
many OF them easily aud quickly
proving their innocence, many of
them holding licensees from tho Gov.
ernInent of tho very court to do ex.
actly whnt they arc being prosecuted
for, and yet they are dragged hero
hundreds OF miles from homes and
dependent families, released upon no
quittal, penniess aud hungry, to find
their way home as best they may.
Many of those sentenced to fine,
clothed in rngs and wretchednoss,
possess no more ability TO pay their
lines thnn thoy would hnve in wiping
out the public debt. Many of tho
cases are plainly the result of feuds
among neighbors,spite work, ,royeng.,
&c, and others would seem to bo a
systematic arrangement among wit
nesses, as we'll as tho indicted, TO no
cure trip to Charleston at Govern
ment expense. Some of tho witness
es may we'll be termed, as they are,
professionals" az their faces have
become easily familiar to this court.
Such scene in Charleston as the
U. 8. Court has presented us this
week should not be witnessed again,
and which naturally have given riso
to much criticism end COMMENT
That these active, energetic, disinter
esied agents of the Government need
a disciplinary no ono will dispute, and
believe before the court ndjourns
They will hear something to their ad-
vantage as we'll as that of the public
from an official source.