The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-13

Pull-Hard Language Used.
Everybody will remember the swim
ding of Henry Stunkle Of Peck by
sharpers and how he came TO the Kan
sas National bank Of this city for the
$1,000 which they got from him. Some
time ago the criminals were arrested
at the instance Of Sumner county. but
it appears they have slipped from The
hands of justice according 10 the fol-
lowing from the Wellington Mail
County Attorney H. L. Woods re-
TURNED from Guthrie, Oklahoma, this
morning with an order from the SUI
preme court for the surrender of J. W.
Byrnes and Bob Bedford, the Stunkel
robbers, to c. c. Shaver as the agent
of the state of Kansas, but Shawver
has not gone after his men yet and will
not do so at once. The reason for this
inactivity on his part is that Byrnes
and Bedford have skipped their bonds
and are hunting some more healthful
climate
The laws Of Oklahoma are construct
ed for monkey business" on requisi-
tons. When a man is arrested on
requisition in that country, he must be
held twenty-four hours and given an
opportunity to sue out a writ of habeas
corpus, which is equivalent to the re-
lease or escape Of every criminal who
has money enough 10 pay his way
through. Byrnes and Belford sued out
writs of habeas corpus. Judge Scott
remanded them. They attempted TO
appeal to the supreme court, Of which
ne is one of the judges. Everybody
knew they had no right 10 such an APP
peal, yet he ordered the sheriff of Ok
lahoma City 10 hold them in custody
until the supreme court passed upon
their right TO appeal. This meant two
or three weeks delay.
The supreme court very promptly
denied their right 10 appeal, when they
took up the question after two or three
weeks delay. Then Byrnes and Bel
ford applied 10 the supreme court for a
new writ Of habeas corpus. II that
court had taken up the case then and
disposed of it, they would have been
turned over at once. But it wasn't
part of the program that these men
should be sent to Kansas for trial.
Their friends, thieves and thugs tho
they be, had too strong a pull pOlit-
ically for that. So a hearing of their
application was put off for two or three
weeks longer. Then Judge Dale ad-
each. This gave Byrnes and Bedford
their liberty and when the case came
up for final hearing yesterday, neither
they nor their attorneys appeared.
Both Byrnes and Bedford has disap-
peared.
The original program having been
played through to the end, with fire.
quent applause from the gang the
supreme court of Oklahoma yesterday
perpetrated the mockery of remanding
these men to the custody of the Kansas
officers. At the time they did so they
knew full well that they were we'll out
of reach and that their escape had been
made possible only by the friendly as
slstance of that court. But then no one
at all familiar with the Jurisprudence
of Oklahoma - it has been admins
tered in the past by these same judges
are surprised at the outcome of this
case; nor would any action of theirs
cause surprise. The only surprise is
that the administra ton at Washing
ton has not, long since, kicked the
whole outfit, body and brooches. out of
office and into the penitentiary where
they naturally belong"