People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-09-19
Talbot Gees Free.

NV -
Saturda, evening at about 7:3C
o'clock The iury in the case Of the
State ". Jana sTalbOt returned into
court with verdict of not guilty and
the prisoner was discharged and took
the HIP train that night Cor his LONE
in California.
The argument OF the case commence
I'd r:lning about ten O'Clock
lid ,on ii.u,d until half past three
rurur' ao'rrr' On Including night
aF ;1ay. The Jury was out
en- l,u cars ard during this time
W. 10 sr.n ,. Upon going to their
r N fl" imy read over the instruc-
tions of The court and then took a
ballot 10 learn CIV ii ey stood. One
Juror yoteG guilty" eleven vOteG
"not guilty" The eleven had very
little difficulty in bringing the one
over to their views Of the case.
There were very few present in the
court room when the verdict was re-
turned. OF course Talbot was reJOic-
ed at the result and lost no time in
getting started for home. The rumOr
had been afOat for some days that a
requiSitiOn warrant was on hand to
take him to Texas to answer a charge
of murder there, if he should be ac-
quilted, but nothing developed in
this line although it probably hasten
ed Talbot's departure. This is the
second time within a year that be
had been discharged on charges Of
murder and, very naturally, he was
not anxious to be arrested third
time.
There has been so much said in the
public press already about this case,
that a review of it at this time is not
necessary. Mike Meagher was killed
in Caldwell on December II, 1881 IN a
general fight between residents and a
gang of cowboys. The murder was so
long ago and the condition of Cald-
well society such at that time that a
very large majority of the people Of
the county thought this prosecution
should never have been commenced
and after the preliminary hearing
should have been dismissed. 1t was
evident to all that had there been no
reward for Talb0t'S arrest and CObvic-
tiOn, Sumner county would never
have been put to the great expense Of
these two trials. The situation was
correctly sized up that the tax payers
of Sumner county must pay $1,000 to
$4,000 in court expenses, solely be-
cause such expenditures would give
certain officers a chance to receive
several hundreds of dollars in rewards.
And after the first trial it was very
generally stated by the friends of the
county attorney that Talbot's convic-
tiOn meant political life or death to
the county attorney, Hence there
was no spariDg OF expenses in the
effort to convict Talbot. And the
most extraordinary means were re-
sorted to in defiance of law as well as
precedent. Hundreds of dollars of
the countyS cash have been placed in
the hands of the county attorney by
the county treasurer with which to
travel over the country and to pay to
witnesses in advance WHO lived out
side of the state. Such payments
were clear violations or the law and
should not be allowed by the board Of
county commissioners. The tax pay.
erS of this county have tights which
their public servants should be com.
PEELED to respect and the use of pub
lie moneys for the advancement Of
private ambitions or for the gratifiCa
ton of personal greed should be con.
demned wherever they appear. And
this Talbot case from beginning tC
end is, in our opinion the most glar
ing example of these abuses that ever
came under our notice.