Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-14
...... JUNE IA, 1895.


legal friend OF ours whose judgment
ye highly value said 10 us yesterday that
would never do TO bring the judge TO
he prisoner instead Of taking the prison.
r 10 the Judge In habeas corpus cases
The objection that he made. and when
re said no change OF the statute or OF
he State Constitution could remedy, was
hat In the locality where the prisoner
VAS held there might exist such preju-
lice and hostility TO him that the ehds
II justice would not be served without
.aking him 70 another jurisdiction where
the application for bail could be consider
ed upon its merits. or course we recog-
nize the force of this argument, and we
see how considerate 1t Is OF the accused
but there is such thing as being 100
considerable of criminals and too incon-
siderate of the public.
However. our rather ironical suggestion
was only thrown out as substitute for
he present practice Of taking the prison.
err followed by a troop Of officers and
witnesses) from county TO county TO find
a Judge TO grant bail. The Commonwealth
usually pays these expenses-mileage'
attendance, etc--and in the recent case or
the gold-brick man they amounted TO
a considerable sum, though no distant
county or city was visited in search OF
bail.
No; 1t won't DO to give all our thought
to the criminals. The public has-or thinks
that 1t has-some rights. 1t seems to us
that the statutes or the State Consutu-
ton ought to be so changed that prison
err confined in Jail in this Commonwealth
might have his pick Of the judges to whom
10 apply for ball. but that in the event
Of being refused bail by that judge he
should then be only entitled TO take his
case TO judge OF a superior court This
would be fair enough to the prisoner;
would save the Commonwealth expense,
and would give the people more conf
donce in the administration Of justice.
1t is an undeniable fact that our crimi-
nal laws are not equal to the needs of
the Commonwealth, or else that there is
a deplorable laxity in enforcing them. In
Virginia, as elsewhere throughout the
Union-in the cities more especially
1t is found that too many men of
intelligence and worth are ex-
empted from or manage TO escape
jury service. And yet these are the
very persons oftenest heard lamenting or
denouncing the failure of justice! Nor are
our judiciary held blameless. Their readi-
ness TO continue cases and their vague in
structions TO juries are said TO be the
causes Of many miscarriages Of justice.
In the case of 1.-The goldbrick man" 1t
would also seem that there has been a
serious error of judgment in admitting
a prisoner to bail. 1t Is argued. however,
by a few-very few-that this accused
monometallist may appear for trial, and
therefore that 1t Is premature tG charge
that the bailing Of him was a blunder.
Well, it may be. contrary to the custom
OF confidence men, that he will return
here to stand his trial in the County
Court Of Henrico; but II so 1t will be
because OF his belief that Mr.. Withers
will not appear against him as witness,
and that Governor O'Ferran will not de-
liver him up upon any one OF the several
acquisitions made for him by the Gov
errors OF other States. Indeed, unless
his friends are much mistaken. he is at
this very time aboard ship sailing for a
foreign port. And we have no doubt
that his face Is wreathed in smiles when
he thinks OF how admirably adapted our
Virginia laws are to the development Of
the gold-brick business.