Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-05-04
LETTERS BY THE PEOPLE
vARIOU1 SUBJECTS FREELY
DISCUSSED.
Dr. Baird And The Grand Jury
And The Reynolds Casc-Mr.
Gudcer's Letter ProvO1es Com.
Iuent-TwO Replies

EDITOR THE CTKEN:-I am informed
that on last Monday while offering the
affidavit ofD. l.. Reynolds in the contempt
case against him before Judge Thos. A.
Jones, Judge ]. II. Merrimoncritlcised my
conduct as a grand juror in very severe
terms, and endcavorcd to place me i'll n
very bad light before the court and the
public. leave it to the public to say
how far Judge Merrimon was warranted
and how manly it was in him 10 thus
attack man who was not present and
whose hands he well knew were tied and
whose lips he knew were sealed by the
sanctity of a solemn oath
| am aware that the public has had a
surfeit of this matter and am not dis
posed to urge it to the nauSeatng point.
| only wish to add a few words to what
my friend Mr.. II. \. Gudger said to the
court in my behalf. Ifit is possible to
so far remove the obligation Of secrecy
as to authorize the placing of every mem
Der of that grand jury, as well as every
witness who appeared before it, upon
the stand to testify as to my conduct
throughout this whole matter, then
shall demand that it be done and that
the conduct OF at least some other of the
jurors be nvcstiga.e ed at the same
time.
While may not be allowed to speak
of anything that occurred within our
body can certainly say without impro-
priety that particular hing did not
occur within our body, especially when
it had been stated in open court by one
of the jurors that this particular thing
did occur.
1t will be remembered that at one time
when the grand Try was called before
The court in regard to thecontcmpt mat
ter asked the Judge if the grand jury
would be kept together until the whole
matter was investigated, and he replied
that they would. My object for asking
this question was to ascertain whether
| would have an opportunity of request
ing that every member of the grand
Jury be put upon the stand and examined
under oath touching this whole matter,
| and especially to settle the matter as to
whether any one had gotten up while
the examination of a witness was gong
on and brought mp the matter OF a juror
having been tamperld with as stated to
the court bv the foreman.
assert that no such thing occurred as
stated and leave it to all the grand
Jurors as well as the witness referred to.
to say what is the truth of the matter,
am not only willing but anxious that
everything connected with this matter
from beginning to end be made public, AS
far as it can possibly be done, and that
the part that each and every man con
nected in any way with it has played
shall be laid bare before the public gaze
have delayed the publication of thl:
card some days because had reason tc
believe that another person familiar
with all the facts would publish state
ment which would obviatc the necessity
of my saying anything. As to the state
mcnts in Mr.. Reynolds affidavit ioundet
on information alleged to have been dc
! rived from Mr.. J. \. Bell, can only say
that Mr. Bell cmphatically and indlg
nantly denies them all and says thai
they are totally and absolutely fails,
from beginning to end. This denial h'
has not only made to me in writing, bu
he makes it fully and without reserve tc
every one who sees proper to speak t'
him about the matter.
do trust that the day may speedily
come when every fact connected will
this unfortunate affair may be laid be
fore the public and when every man ii
any way connected with it may be mad
to stand in his proper place in public cs
timation. is. I. Hard,