The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-26

tuaily nvc days without any complaint having
been filed against him. 1t may De true that In
this case 1t would have been dangerous for the
officers plans to have preferred charges against
him at an earlier date. This 10 barely possiDe'
but il would be infinitely better that
criminal should escape now ana tneu,
than that police officers should b allowed 10
interfere with the liberties OF the people Inc
old common law rule was that 1t was better Tor
ninety-rine guilty men TO escape than for ono
innocent one to be punished. do not see why
the ordinary course could not have been pur-
sued in this matter, why an information could
not have been filed, il there were grounds for
one, ana warrant gotten out for his arrest.
He could then have been held under order OF
q committing magistrate. No sufficient ex-
cuse IL set forth in the return to JUS
tify . variation from this straight course.
II Is certrinly the right Of this person to come
into court and have the question of the legality
OF his detention examined into. This is the
right OF every citizen of the United States and
OF every citizen OF the state of Washington. 1t
Is fundamental in our civilization, and has been
acquired through years of struggle. While 1t
may impede the well.meant actions of certain
public officers. 1t 10 right that tho American
people would be loath to dispense with. II will
never do to lose sight of the right Of personal
freedom, one of the cardinal points of our lib
erty. do not think that this man 10 legally de-
tanned. Let an or0er be made out for his dis
charge.
Thomas Gibbons, the victim of the out
rage, was seen by a PosT-INrELL1GENCER
reporter last night, and if half what he
says Of the police headquarters is true the
GEAR would do we'll to engage Chief Jack
son for his pet dungeon. Gibbons seemed
astonis he'd at the whole affair, and said:
came to the city about ten or twelve days
ago in search Of wOlE. l had several friends in
the city, and they promised to try to find me
something to do and In the meantime went Sc
curity for my room at the Windsor hotel.
have been hackdriver at San Diego, and have
worked at various occupations, but by profess
sion am steel plate printer. / got a little
work shoveling snow during my first few days
stay In Seattle.
On the night OF Washington's birthday went
with friend to q billiard hall on Washington
street. While was in there Detective Chdihee
came up, asked me for my name, aud took me
to the police station. When l arrived l ex-
pected to be examined regarding some offcnse,
but was accused Of nothing. They searched
me, taking away even my tobacco. and put me
into the "tank'' with three other men. asked
for blankets, but was given none, and forced to
pass the night shivering upon the cold floor. ]
asked the night jailer for covering, but he re-
fused, aud acted like brute toward me and all
the rest Of the prisoners. This cold night
was very severe on me, as am subject
to rheumatism, and was laid up nearly all
last winter with it 1t is bad enough
that a tricndless man should be treated a. ]
have been. but to be locked up without. chance
for my friends to help me, half frozen to death,
and kept in ignorance or lied to concerning the
charge against me 10 too much. The only
inkling had OF the nature of my alleged crime
was when Cudihee came to see me OH Sunday
and asked me If knew q number of men. He
thonf told fhaf hadi tod
stealing OF some cloth. but that 1t was only
petit larceny, aud l had better tell what knew
about it. ~
Chief Jackson Was in such q state of
self-repression yesterday evening that at
times it seemed as if an explosion would
certainly follow. He trusted himself to
say:
have not word to say against Judge Lang.
ley or his decision. / am only sorry that lost
my man. It IL nothing more than has always
been done by every chief of police In the coun-
try, and II we did not use such means we would
not be able to convict half the prisoners that we
technicalities of the law. Our ju iges support
US constantly when men who have been arrested
on kilograms get out writs of habcas corpus.
They know that it 10 illegal, but that 1t is neces.
ssry to attain the ends of justice.
The chief failed utterly to distinguish
between holding q man to await the ar
rival of extradition papers and holding q
man to rake up evidence enough against
him to convict him. Thus far the chief
had kept truly commendable control
over his temper, but he soon began to
display signs of irritation. Upon being
asked how it was that a man sworn to up
hold the laws of the state could admit that
he found it necessary to infract them
daily, the chief replied that he did not
consider that his actions were breaches of
the law. Warming up to his subject he
attempted to justify his conduct by claim
ing that he had been merely following in
the steps of his predecessors. and that
he had been upheld by two of
the judges of the superior court.
What effect the calling down that he re-
his future conduct he refused to say, nor
would he state whether he expected to re-
arrest Gibbons. LET the future speak for
ITSELF" was all that he would say.
After the police found that the courts
would not sustain them in their star
chamber methods. they FASTENED to re-
lease Jim Maloney, another of the secret
prisoners. They still held the other four
men, out ABOUT mlunigHt tncy III some
way learned that the PosT-1NTELLIGENcER
had gotten wind of the facts. and then
they set to work to comply with the forms
of the law by registering the men as dis
orderly persons.
The men who are still confined are
thought to be the real nucleus of the rob
Der gang" and have interesting histories.
Jack Mckinnon IS the man who three
years ago brought young girl here from
San Francisco, and made her support
him. Her brother found her and took her
back to her home. She had, however,
contracted quick consumption while here.
and died on the steamer as she entered the
Golden Gate OF San Francisco harbor. The
sad case of the poor girl returning home to
be placed in her mothers arms a corpse
will be remembered by many in Seattle.
Mckinnon IS also the man who swore TO u
false affidavit charging that Bolton Rog-
ers was in the house of correction at San
Francisco with him in 1879. Frank Will
hams is said TO DE an Oregon state prison
bird and was sent up about three years
ago by Detective Day. of Portland, for
stealing sealskin sack and some dia-
monds from a Portland woman. AS near
as can De learned he has been on. only a
short time. Willis is a new character but