The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-05-21
THAT OLD INDICTMENT.
The Blakelys' Statement Of That Indict.
ment Quarter Of Century Ago.
lFrom Albany Democrat May ls.l

(From Albany Democrat May 1871
We have received the following
letters--one from Captain James
Blakely, Of Brownsville. Captain
Blakely has resided in Brownsville
for fifty years, and formerly represent
ed Linn county in the legislature,
The other letter Is from Mr.. Henry
Blakely, the democratic nominee for
sheriff The light thrown on this
indictment affair ends, just as people
who knew Henry Blakely declared it
would do, that is in his vindication.
The letters are as follows:
BROWNSVILLE, Or, May lS, 1895.
Editor Dem0crat'
/ desire to state that when my son
Henry was a young man, he was
engaged in caring for a band of my
cattle in Unatilla county, Oregon.
There was an Indictment procured
against him by false testimony. The
cattle which the indictment charged
Henry with stealing turned out to be
my own cattle, branded with my own
brand. My son on hearing of the
indictment voluntarily went to Pendle-
ton and gave bonds to answer the
charge. There being absolutely no
foundation In the fact for the indict-
ment my son was promptly discharged.
The story being told that l paid money
to procure his discharge is a malicious
falsehood. I never directly or ind.-
rectly paid one cent to procure his dis.
charge, and never heard Of such a
thing, until lately. He was discharged
because he was innocent and the
district attorney so stated in open
court. JAMES BLAKELY.
BROWNSVILLE, Or, May IS, 1895.
The lierald's malicious and untruth-
ful statement in its columns of the
18th instant that | have been dodging
to keep out of the penitentiary is a
malicious falsehood and libel. Nearly
a quarter of century ago / was herd
ing cattle for my father, James Blake
ly, in Umatilla county, Oregon. An
enemy, while was absent from Una
tilla county, managed to procure an
indictment against me, falsely alleging
that ] had stolen some cattle. The
cattle alleged to have been stolen
turned out to be my fathers cattle and
were each of them branded with my
fathers brand AS soon as / heard of
the indictment and without waiting to
be arrested | voluntarily went to PEN
dleton and gave bonds TO answer to the
charge. The officers were thoroughly
satisfied that the indictment was ma
licious and without any foundation in
fact, The district attorney in open
court announced to the court that he
had Investigated the matter and that
he was satisfied that ] was innocent Of
the commission of any offense and
voluntarily upon his motion in open
court the case against me was dis
missed. The man instrumental in
securing the indictment against me
was arrested for stealing, convicted
and sentenced to the penitentiary.
/ was born and raised in Brownsville
was never sued and have never sued
any one. / was maliciously made a
party to the indictment above referred
to, answered it without being arrested,
aud my innocence thereof vindicated
l have never lodged any officer and
never at any time had reason to fear
the penitentiary, nor any other pun
ishment. | haye always made my
word as good as my written obligation.
/ cannot believe that my friends and
acquaintances in Linn county believe
in or take any stock in the slanderous
falsehoods of those who 60 back a
quarter of century to dig up mali.
cious Indictment procured by perjury.
My life has been as an open book to
hundreds Of the people of Linn county
and those who know me best, my
neighbors, are my warmest supporters.
I here promise the voters of Linn
county that if elected to the office Of
sheriff l will honestly and fearlessly
do my whole duty