People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-02-03
BETRAYED BY HIS LAWYER,
Judge Isaac G. Reeds Pathetic Appeal to
the State Bar Association from the
Penitentiary.

Correspond ence Kansas City Star.
A peculiar question and one which
led to the most serious debate of the
entire meeting arose in the State Bal
association just before adjournment
last week. John D. Milliken sent Ia
the secretary's desk letter to be read
1t was from Judge Isaac Reed OF
Sumner county, now in the peniten'
tiary for murder in the first degree.
1t was plteous appeal to the bar OF
the state for help. Reed was Sen
fenced to hang, which, under the
Kansas statutes means a life sentence
in the penitentiary, for the murder OF
Isaac G. Hopper. His letter says that
he is a member of the association,
that he has been tried twice and on
his second trial was not given d fail
hearing.
81 spent all the money l had," bis
letter says, land had to draw on my
friends. l was brought to the pen
itentiary in September, 1884,"
At that time he had an appeal pend
ing, be says, and by the efforts of his
wife and friends $500 was raised to
pay the expense of the appeal. 1t
was placed in the bank at Winfield,
and one Of his attorneys drew the
money and failed to perfect the appeal.
The time allowed for perfecting an
appeal has passed long ago. Reed
says he is trying to get pardon and
he hopes the bar association will help
him. He asks, too, that it Investigate
the acts of the lawyer who betrayed
him, a fellow member of the associa.
tiOn.
Judge T. B. Wall of Wichita, was
on his feet instantly. He declared
that he had known Reed for years,
that he was regarded as a man Of high
character. He is an educated gentle.
man.
Il knew the deceased, too" he said,
'and l do not mean to speak harm of
the dead when l say he was a great
burly buffer, and that Reed was a
small and delicate man who feared
him when he made threats"
Wall proposed a committee of three
to investigate, and, if it was found to
be proper, ask the governor to pardon
Reed. He declared Reed to be an
honorable and upright man.
Milliken declared that if the $500
raised by the friends of a condemned
man had been made way with by a
membersOf the association, that mem.
ber'S name ought to be blOtted from
the books Of the association. Wall
said his information was that the
story was true. The faithless lawyer
had been threatened with disbarment,
but had been allowed to leave the
state without proceedings being
brought.
A. A. GODDARD of Topeka, declared
that the association ought to 20 slow
in committing itself and taking up
such matters.
W. S. ROark Of Junction City, was
willing to investigate the lawyer, but
did not care to commit the association
to Reeds cause without further in
formation.
BY this time the entire association
was nervously leaning forward to
catch the words of each speaker. 1t
was just beginning to grow dark and
it was evident that many members
hesitated between sympathy for Reed
and the propriety of binding the asso.
citation.
Howell Jones said: Individually l
will go as far, will give as literally,
II this mans cause is just, as any
member of this association; but com.
pared to the whole body the number
OF US present is small" He declared
that the investigation proposed was
nothing less than a review of the
action Of one of the courts of the
state, something the association ought
not to undertake. T. F. Carver ex-
pressed similar views, so did others.
Sam Kimble Of Manhattan, came to
the support Of Wall in fiery speech,
In which he declared that the appeal
had touched his heart. "There is
something in that mau's words, the
earnestness Of his expression, that
makes me feel that he speaks the
TRUTH" he said. II believe his story
Is true and If it be true the lawyer
who would defraud his client behind
prison bars and deprive a man of his
liberty ought to be followed to bis
new home and prosecuted for embez
element"
1t was I o'clock before the discus
sion closed. A. A. GODDARD finally
moved an amendment that the associ.
alton appoint committee to investi.
gate the acts OF lawyers complained
Of. 1t carried by small majority.
Judge T. B. Wall of Wichita, Charlie: