The sun., 1896-10-31
UGLY WORK BY ALTGELD.
sEoRETLr CIRCULATES a DEsrIcA-
BILE Alta OK ON TANNER.

Lying Statements About the Republican
Candidate in Illinois. who Killed n
Man in seiEderenoo Thirty Years Ago.
CHICAGO, Oct. 3o.-Gov. Altgeld returned to
Chicago to-day. Billy Bryan had departed to-
| ward his home in the direction OF Salt River
Altgeld is now to make tho final desperate
efforts to save himself. Ho Is to speak all over
| the city. His visit to Chicago was hcralded by
the last desperate steps he has taken to escape
political oblivion. 1t In the shape of circular
attack on John Il. Tanner. his Republican ad YER
| eary In the Gubernatorial race. Popocrat!o
Chairman Jones exhibited ono of the circulars
| with delight at Popocratic national headquar-
ters this afternoon.
Over 100000 of the circulars. which are part
| iy In the nature OF cartoons. were printed at
Springfield on tho State presses. 1t is openly
charged. and not denied. that the circular was
prepared at the State House in Springfield, and
its publication appeared to bo in charge of Col.
W.. F. Dose. Gov. Altgold's private secretary.
and h. A. Snively the Clerk of the Supreme
Court and Popocratic candidate for reelection.
| AT least, they seemed to be actively engaged in
experimenting the publication of the circulars
| and their shipment to Chicago and other parts
| OF the State. Every possible effort was made to
| keep this work secret, and the programme evil
| IDENTIFY was to scatter these scurrilous handbils
s"oukh SuiCdkO anu OJner CltleS 1u6t before
election and thus hold them until 1t was too
late for any answer to the attack TO be made.
The subject chosen for this attack was the
killing Of Tom Erskine by John r. Tanner. in
| self-defonce in Clay county thirty years ago.
All the circumstances of this occurrence have
been published time and again in the press of
Illinois. Mr.. Tanner was attacked by Erskine,
who had threatened his life. Erskine threw an
axe at Tanner and killed ono OF the latters COM
panions. Then he made another attack, and was
shot and killed by Tanner. 1t WINS simply ques-
tion which one should die, and Tanner defended
himself and saved his own life by the only
means possible under the circumstances. He
was then friendless and poor boy, just back
from the war, and his was not properly
presented upon his first trial, the result being
verdict against him for manslaughter. This
verdict, however. was promptly set aside by tho
presiding Judge on the ground that 1t was con-
trary to the evidence. and he ordered a new
trial upon his own motion. On the second trial
Tanner was acquitted as soon as the case reached
the jury.
A few months later Tanner was elected Sheriff
Of Clay county, being the first Republican ever
chosen to office in tnat county. Tho Eskine
case was the principal issue in the election. and
the people OF Clay county, who were familiar
with oil the facts, passed Judgment upon the
case and endorsed Mr.. Tanners course by re-
vers!ng the usual political maj iorlty in his favor
The case has since been passed upon a number
of times by tho people OF that county and SEN
atoral district. and always with the Same result
There is nothing in the affair In any way dis
creditable 20 Mr.. Tanner and he cannot be in
jured by any publication relating to it unless
the actual facts are misrepresente This of
course, is what this Altgeld circular does al
though with the audacity characteristic of Alt
geld and his managers 1t is headed In big letters
Truth about Tanner" 1t consists principally
of crudo cartoons. One represents the ghost of
Erskine standing between Tanner and the Gov
crnorship. Another page 10 inscribed Scenes
In the life of John Il. Tanner" and contains
smaller sketches pretending to represent 1.-THE
killing" the flight" ""the sentence" I" and "the
dread OF the ghost"
or course there never was any sentence but
that makes difference TO the A,tgeld ma
chine. The rest OF the matter Is OF similar char
actcr and from first to last shamelessly mis-
represents the facts In the case
Mr.. Tanner says OF the affair
" 1t does not surprise me In the least. I have
been ready to anticipate any d!sgraceful thing
that the opposition might do The matter is old |
and was threshed over thirty years ago. was
acquitted by the courts, and the people Of my
county accepted the action of the courts and
elected me to places of honor. The people OF my |
district approved my action and sent me to |
the Senate and the people OF the State |
elected me Treasurer OF the State of |
Illinois. Later / was made United States |
Sub-Treasurer at Chicago. Tho story has been |
thoroughly discussed in the country and metro |
polltan papers. and there is nothing new in 1t. |
To rehash 1t and spring 1t at this time, when It
10 too late to make reply Is cowardly and un- |
worthy of notice. |
Tonight Snively denies having ordered the |
printing Of the circulars. Edward +. Hartman, |
the State Printing contractor. makes affidavit |
that Snively did not order the printing. He has |
not made such an affidavit in the of w. F. |
Dose, Gov. Altgeld's private secretary and does
not deny that Dose brought the job to his Office |
and made contract for it.
Ex-Gov. Fifer says OF the affair:
" This despicable act OF Atgeld's supporters
will provo q boomerang. 1t is tho last effort
made for man who is beaten. 1t iS done In the |
hope that people who are not familiar with the
details of Mr.. Tanners unfortunate experience
of twenty -sevcn years ago will be Influenced by
1t. Altgeid has come to the stage wkere he 10
ready to grasp at a straw. He evidently has
cast this die on the basis of chance.
If 1t gains him votes he will be sat-
ished; II 1t proves boomerang, as It
will, he can get no worse than his |
sure doom. The public has Judged Mr.. Tanner.
as jury has DONE and has acquitted him of
blame for an act committed In self defence and
in tho presence OF deadly peril He has been
honored in his own county time and again.
which no man could get II a less crime lay
guiltily at his door. I will be in error II tho
public does not condemn the publication, at this
late hour, of such vile circulars."
Republican State Chairman Hitch said TO-
night:
The circular was issued Immediately after
the country weeklies in the state had gone to