The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-04
MR.. RUDDY'S REASONS.
The Young Attorney Tells Why lie Pro
tested OuiSlcy's Bill.

Attorney p. J. Ruddy, who has pro-
tested the payment of the bill or Thom-
as Quigley and James O'Brien for $4,000
for catching the murderers at the
mountain cutoff, yesterday made his
reasons public, as follows:
AS a citizen and taxpayer of this great
and prosperous county felt it incumbent
on me as such, and in justice to the tax
payers of LuZerne county. to notify the
county commissioners and the treasurer
to protest against the payment OF the
eXorbitant demands of Thomas Il. Quig-
ley and james OBrien for alleged services
claimed 10 have been rendered in the case
of the commonwealth VS.. Nelson Miller,
except such fees as are by law allowed.
Quigley and O'Brien claim money from
the county for services alleged to have
been rendered from the date of the COM
mission of the crime ON Oct IS. 1891, up to
the time of the conviction of Nelson Miller
on Sept. Y, 1895 1t has been insinuated
by the press and some of the friends of
Quigley and O'Brien that l am but a tool
In the hands of Others in this proceeding,
but i wish it emphatically and distinctly
understood that / do this in the interest
of the taxpayers of LuZerne county,
whose burden at the present time is moro
than they can bear. Right here l desire
10 state that upon consulting one of the
attorneys for the defence about filing the
protest of yesterday, he advised me not TO
do it, and even went so far as to attempt
to dissuade me from doing it when the
protest was prepared. My reasons for
filing the protest are as follows: Thomas
+. Quisley and James O'Brien, the parties
claiming the enormous amount of nearly
$4,000, are not entitled to 1t for the rea
sen that they have performed no services
UP 10 the time of the arrest of Nelson Mil
Ter. The arrest of Miller on the confess
sion of Shaffer was purely an accident:
Shaffer got drunk up around Pittston and
was boasting about his connection with
this oiferse, when 1t came to the ears of
Mo- 1l,f. hos Nrhn
promptly informed his brother of the fact.
Shaffer. was then taken into custody and
upon the statement then made by him
Miller and the Others We're arrested. Dur
ing the whole of this time James OBrien
was employed as a special officer for the
Iehigh Valley Railroad company, and
Quigiey ran and still runs a grocery.
saloon and postoiiice in the same build
but to examine the bill filed by these peo-
pie to see the gross injustice about to be
perpetrated on the taxpayers of Luzerne
county. In the bin filed they claim So
day for numerous myths. whom they
have designated on their bill as "a. D."
~. t." etc.. as being the persons en-
ployed by them in the detection of this
accidental confession. If the bill filed Is
an honest one. and for money actually
paid out OF persons in their employ, why
have they not placed upon II the names
of TIE persons thus employed, as was done
by Barring and McSweeney in the Hen
bricks case? I understand that prior to
this confession the commissioners made
no contract nor entered into any agree
ment nv watch they were to pay Quiglev
and O'Brien anything in connection with
the mountain murder and two of the COM
rnissioners so Informed me- of this fact.
II the commissioners made no contract
with them why should they be paid this
enormous sum of money other than the
feos allowed them by law?
In filing this protest had no feeling or
malice toward Messrs. Quigley and
O'Brien. but felt it my duty toward the
taxpayers of this county
p j. Ruddy