The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-10-22

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The expenses Of the administration OF
/ county affairs have been reduced about
twenty thousand dollars in the last few
years. Last year the reduction over
4 the previous year amounted to about
y o12. 600, q shown by the undisputed
\ report Of the examiners Of the Commits
\ sioners' report. This year there has
still farther reduction, in spite of some
expenses out of the ordinary. The Ga.
sette gang, which is crazy to get at the
county funds again, are making a des.
perate effort to create an impression
that there has been extravagance. They
/ can only cite one incident upon which to
base their wild TRADE. The custom Of
SLOWING attorney fees is not a partisan
one. 1t is something which the Gazette,
itself, referring to this particular in.
4 stance, months ago, said was sustained
by innumerable precedents. Like the
K Gazette, we believe there should be far
ther restrictions. But, in this case, 1t
should not be forgotten that the county,
with all the evidence it could command,
had no sure thing Of conviction. The
case would probably have dragged it's
weary way through all the courts, at a
4 cost of many thousand dollars. Cler.
mont, Fayette, Warren and other coun.
i ties have had sad and costly experiences
along that line.
It il a fact that the Gazette practically
admitted that the fault, if any, was in
1 the system Of granting those fees (Which
il not partisan system), and not in the
/ authorities. These facts show that this
! agitation is simply sprung as means to
break down those who have saved the
county many thousands Of dollars, and
this because OF q transaction in which
the tax payers we're immensely the
gamers. Is that fair ?
In speaking of this subject the Hills
boro Gazette, in it's issue of July Sd, last,
said:
In our criticism of the large fees allow.
ed the attorneys in the Julian murder
case, it may have been made to appear
1 that we we're making personal fight
against Judge Newby. Such is not the
case. We meant nothing personal in
our criticisms, but we're criticising the
system of allowing fees in such cases.
This system has been in vogue for many
years, and is an outrage upon the tax.
payers, and some means should be taken
Newly is concerned, he had many pre-.
cedents for his action in the Julian case.
In former trials of like character simi.
lar fees have been allowed attorneys for
very little work, and he was only follow.
ingthe usual custom of Courts in the mat.
1 ter. The statute fixes tho fee to be
allowed in case of manslaughter at 500,
and the fees in more serious cases are
graded according to the responsibility
assumed by the attorneys taking the
employment. The Judge allows the
fees, but the bills have to be passed up.
on and ordered paid by the Board of
4 County Commissioners.
The Gazets is right in saying that the
Z action Of the officials in allowing the
sums which they did is abundantly
( sustained by precedent. Take for in.
\ stance the Harris case, the link case,
and still more recently the proceeding
against T. P. Vance to disbsr him, where
Judge Abernsthy, q Democratic Judge
! sitting on the bench here, made an allow.
ance to the attorneys conducting the
prosecution of $500, as fees for their ser.
vices. And that was not a criminal case,
and did not involve the responsibility
or require the skill and care of a case
whore mans life was at stake. All
these allowances were passed over in
silence, and acquiesced in by everybody,
and the agitation of the question now is
plainly for partisan purposes only.
The impression sought to be made that
the attorneys did nothing is false.
The attorneys, especially the one a2.
| pointed to assist the prosecution, not
only expended his time in preparing the
case for trial, but went to considerable
outlay in expenses out Of his own pocket
IN going to other places to look up and
secure testimony relative to the mental
condition of the accused in order to meet
the plea of insanity which was expected
70 bs interposed. Any intelligent per.
son knows that frequently the hardest,
and always the most painstaking and
careful work of the attorney il in the pre-.
paTation of his case for trial.
II . citizen Of this county should be
20 unfortunate q to become involved in
. murder case and should come to Hills.
boro with $500 in his pocket to employ
IN attorney to defend or prosecute the
ease, We venture the prediction that he
not only would take none of the money
back with him, but would have to leave
. good note for an additional amount.
Death Of Mrs. Ellifritx.
Mrs. g. e. Ellifritz died at o'clock
this morning. On Friday last she was
taken with hemorrhage of the lungs.