Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-02-13
who was the Judges own ten

At the last term OF Circuit Court
four indictments and one appeal case
| from the Mayors court were pending
in the Circuit Court for unlawful re-
failing, against Lige Smith, a tenant
and client of Attorney Chas Chrisman.
Heplead guilty to one indictment
and judgment of 500 fine and costs
was entered, as the record shows, and
all the other cases mol. pressed. Dep
uty Sheriff Willoughby referred to
this case in the meeting and said the
courts order that the fine be worked
out cleaning brick at the court house
had never been regarded by Smith.
Judge Chrisman was interviewed at
his home in jackson last Saturday eve
ming 10y the editor of THE LEADER. He
had seen the report of the meeting sent
from here to the Times-Democrat, and
what the Lincoln County Times had
said about the charges there made
against him, and he could lily conceal
his indignation. On being told of what
Mayor Daughtry and others had said
in reference to the Lum Phillips case
and asked if he had anything to say
for publication, he replied:
II know nothing about the Lum
Phillips case further than this: That
refused to reduce his sentence unless
Daughtry requested it. The negro a
short time afterward brought me a
note from Daughtry, which | have in
my desk, and which seems to speak for
itself"
The Mayors note, the original copy
of which the Judge then produced, is
as follows:
Nov. oath, 1893.
Judge J. B. Chrisman:
DEAR SIR:-Lum appeals to me to ask
you, if consistent with your views, to
give him time to raise the money for
his fine and costs. He appears peni-
tent and promises that l will never
have another occasion to punish him
for violating the law, and that he will
lead better life. l therefore ask, in
his behalf, to give him indulgence Gf
consistent with your views as far as
paying the fine imposed.
| Yours very respectfully,
j. b. DAUGHTRY, Mayor.
Judge Chrisman then went on to say
| that he recalled the fact that the May
or had had a conversation with him be-
| fore sending the note, about staying
the sentence as to the 800 fine, provid-
ed Lum would pay the costs, "And," he
added with emphasis, you may say
that | was then aware that | was deal
ing with slippery man who l knew to
be unfriendly to me and who would
not hesitate to place me in a false
light to shield himself, and determin-
ed would not accede to his request
unless he made it in writing SO | could
preserve the evidence Of it."
Judge Chrisman was then asked
about the Lige Smith and two other
blind tiger cases brought before him at
last court, and stated he could not re-
call the facts and circumstances con-
nected with these cases, but said of one
thing he was sure, he had with consci-
entious regard for his official duty, act
ed on each and every one according to
what he conceived to be its merits. He
referred with characteristic animation
rifices he, with others, had made years
ago to rid Lincoln county and Brook
haven of the blighting curse of the
whisky traffic, and said it seemed like
the irony of fate itself that men who so
opposed his efforts then should now
arraign him before the bar of public
opinion, charge him with tearing down
his own work, and at the same time at
tempt to degrade him in the estimation
of his friends and neighbors.
If The LEADER believed Judge Chris
man had prostituted his high and re
sponsible office in the way he has been
charged with doing, it would net hest
tate to say he ought to be driven IN
disgrace from the bench; but, knowing
him to be the conscientious, fearless
and upright Judge that he is, as jeal-
Gus of his judicial honor as virtuous
Lucretia was of her chastity, and one
who would spurn the very thought of
corruption,-we are fully persuaded
that facts and circumstances which, on
the surface, appear to his discred-
it, have simply been taken advantage
of or misconstrued to his disparagment.
We say this not as a personal friend or
partizan of Judge Chrisman, but as .
public journalist, as jealous of the pub
lie veal as any one who has preferred
charges against him can possibly be,
and yet as one who feels that this much
is due him in simple fairness and JUS
tice.
There is another phase of probable
official responsibility for blind tigerism
and moral degeneracy in the communi-
ty which we wish to briefly refer to be-
fore closing this article. We allude to
the drinking habits and drunkenness
of some of the local officers of the law
themselves. Nothing of this nature
has come to our knowledge very re-
Gently, but it hasn't been so long ago
that more than one of our local Off
Gals were too much under the infiu-
ence of liquor to properly discharge
~ - Ali Ia