The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-02
WHY HE NEVER REPLIED HIMSELF
Failing Intellect and Will Left the Duty of De
fence for Others-IIis Splendid Per Centage
of Efficiency ISLANDERS About Bail Bonds
and Untried Indictments Refuted in Detail.

Charles H. Winfield is to all intents and
purposes dead. 1t is true the outward
semblance of him still remains above the
ground: but the mind of the eminent law
yer and litterateur has passed away, ana
all that remains is mere image OF clay
Murdered by yellow Journalism is the
record written upon the tablets OF the
popular memory to complete the story Oh
a notable career. The first blow was
struck upon Saturday, November 3. IL
was stunning in its cruelty and injustice.
Then like the victim of the savage In
dian. tied to the stake, the stricken man
was tortured day after day with staps
and blows from daggers of malice and ar
rows of spleen and crushing bludgeons of
reckless falsehood.
The final wound, the coup-de-grace, was
inflicted on December II. 1t was given
over the PROSTATE bodies of two other
men; but it was none the less effectuaL
1t reached the heart. 1t touched the cord
of life For one brief effort the victim
staggered under the stroke. Then he col
lapsed and was taken home to living
tomb.
When the Evening Journal OF TINS
city openly assailed Charles H. Winfield
in an article of great length, the -virulence
of which was surpassed only by its pre-
posterous inaccuracy. it was generally
expected that he would have at once re-
piled to his assailant and crushed 1t
with an avalanche of truth and a storm
of Indignation. Indeed it was formally
announced that he would do 1t was
published that he was preparing his re-
ply; it was announced that he was COM
10 af CT r9S l
was expected that he would have laid
the facts of local history before the pub
lie and asked his fellow citizens to judge
between him and his accusers. Every
one was eager for his utterances, and If,
as was expected, he had overwhelmed his
slanderers with the blunders of their own
malignity something that might be de-
scribed as an ovation of sentiment was
in readiness for him.
But the promised reply never came
First a short delay was spoken of. and
then another. Then it was said the an
swer would be reserved until the entire
fabric of the Journal charges was COM
plete.
Wonder fell upon everyone, and the
friends of the man so grievously as
sailed were struck with a chill? What
could it mean? Why was he silent?
Why did he not produce his facts, prove
the falsehood of the journal" and set
his record higher than ever above the
reach of enemies, however wanton, TO
blacken pr stain it?
While Ahese questions were being gen
orally asked, the clmactic enterprise of
yellowness was flashed upon the public
sight. Then, of course, it became plain
to everyone that the time for reply to
generalities and trivialities had passed.
There was new issue in the fight
which must be fought by other men than
the Prosecutor, and his turn to right him
self could not come again until the more
: desperate case of his subordinate had
been settled in the public mind.
Almost simultaneously, however, the
reason for the weakness and hesitation
which he had displayed, when attacked.
began to be understood. Whispers re-
garding his mental state grew into ru-
mors, and at last it was the sad function
of 1.-THE News to declare authoritatively
the fact that the master mind which had
for weeks been weakening and failing,
had at last become a wreck.
Charles H. Winfield never made answers
to the Journals" assaults upon his rep.
utation, because he never, after the first
attack, possessed the mental energy or
acumen tc do so. He had the impulse, the
desire to right himself. He initiated the
necessary steps. Records were examined
under his direction and much preliminary
material was prepared. There are, it is
said, some pathetic fragments of manu-
script in his own hand. which indicate, in
part the lines along which he would
have conducted his own defense at the
bar of public opinion. But the intellect
was no longer capable of consecutive ef-
fort, and the will power was deficient. So
nothing which would be intelligible to
the public was ever produced, and moth
ing ever will be now by the man himself
Thus the duty devolved upon those
who esteemed a{ld admired Mr. Winfield, 4
to assume cause which he can no longer
maintain himself-to rehabiitate him in
the eyes of the city, the county and the
State by showing how grossly how
cruelty, how recklessly nendacious were
the allegations made against him. how
Indignantly unwarranted were the de-
ductions drawn to his dscredit from false
hoods Or from garbled truths "The
News has taken upon itself the office of
making a contribution to this necessary
vindication of one of Democracy's most
shining lights. The effort is made under
painful consciousness of its insufficency
as compared with what Mr.. Winfield
might have done in his own behalf, had
his mental health been spared. But at
the same time, the statements which fol-
low. are laid before the public with all the
confidence arising from a knowledge of
their truth and accuracy and from the
certainty that, in themselves. and without |
regard to the manner of their presenta-
ton they constitute 9, complete and con-