Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-09-26

At yesterday mornings session OF
the Crimfaaf Court there were pro-
ceedings of the most interesting ma
ture, growing out of the findings by
the late grand jury of this county.
The allegations made by counsel for
the defence in the "short license"
cases, show most astonishing state Of
affairs, and the fact that the officials
are compromising cases upon almost
any basis, and have agents at work in
the hope of inducing defendants to en-
ter pleas of guilty on anything from
one-half to one-quarter Of the original
number of indictments found, shows
pretty conclusively that there is some
thing rotten in Denmark" If the in
dictments returned were square and
fair, upon undoubted infractlons of the
law, and if the jury which made the
presentments was duly constituted &C
ccrding to law, it would naturally be
the ambition, as well as being the
duty, of the authorities representing
the State, to secure convictions upon
every count. That would be the sworn
duty of the public officials under their
oaths of Office. But the fact is, that
they are offering compromises
all along the line, and a
few of the defendants, anxious to set
tie, instead of standing together and
making a fight, have been given al
most any terms. One man with ten
indictments against him settled for
five, another for four, and a third for
three, and this in the face of the fact
that if they are guilty as to one indict-
ment they are guilty as to all. 1t shows
the niger in the wood pile" very con-
clusively, and the situation will be well
illustrated by subsequent proceedings
In fact, the ball has just been opened.
AT the outset, it may be we'll to
state that there is no allegation of COL
fusion or crookedness against any
member of the Board of Commission
ers or against the Clerk of that body,
or against Clerk Robertson, of the
County Court; nor is there any fault
found with the individual members of
the body sitting as a grand jury. AS
individuals these gentlemen are alb
solved from any intention of violating
the law or from any thought of collu-
sion with others who were engineering
the scheme which resulted in over
seven hundred indictments. The allie
cations of wrong-doing touch other
people, or grow out of ignorance of the
law, as is more fully explained in
the pleas filed at yesterdays session of
the Court.
Another preliminary matter touches
the efforts of the county authorities to
have the defendants accused of selling
under short licenses" plead guilty
The Intelligencer of yesterday, backing
the officials who are attempting to
have the defendants plead guilty as the
best way out of their troubles, an
nounced with great glee that about
twenty of the defendants had agreed
to withdraw from the defense made,
and were willing to compromise the
cases against them. 1t failed to add,
however, that this attempt grew out
OF the solicitations of personal agents
of county officials, one of these agents
being an ex-constable who is perfect
ly we'll known. AS a result of this eff
fort on the part of the authorities ten
saloon keepers entered pleas of guilty
yesterday for varying numbers of in
dictments, but in every instance less
than the number found against them.
On the other hand, eight additional de-
PENDANTS cast their lot in with the ma
jority, and will make the fight against
the abuse of law and power shown in
this transaction. Those who plead
guilty yesterday were:
Thomas Hennegan, two cases, $40
and costs.
Joseph Green, three cases, $40 and
costs
w. R. Stops, five cases, $40 and
costs.
c. Rudler, four cases, $40 and costs.
McFadden & Smith, three cases, SO
and costs.
Bernard Meehen, six cases, $40 and
costs
Dush & Gaus, five cases, $40 and
costs
w. c. Smith, one case, $40 and costs