The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-04
CANT SAVE HIM
Amidon'S Fearful Mistakes Act
as a Boomerang.
HIS POPULARITY Is GONE
Cases Tried, Reversed and
Costs Fall on the County.

Before the end of the week there will be
three big PopuHst speakers at Andsle.
They are trying 10 save Sam Amidon
from his own fearful mistakes. Amidon's
speech at Andale and other towns was a
prairie fire, and the wind switched right
match The Populist leaders are now in
desperation trying to save the district for
him
Amidon started out as the most pictur-
esque county candidate IN the field. To
hear his followers talk. the casual observer
would have believed that his vote in Sedg
wick county was unanimous. Today. with
the possible exception OF Haymaker, he is
trailing his own ticket.
In the first place, the Amidon push
started out with the statement thatAmidon
was the best attorney Sedgwick county
ever had. They kept this up until some
people took it seriously and began to prove
otherwise and pull the record, when Sans
friends began to howl that "a personal
campaign was being made against him
No personal campaign against Sam Ami
don has been made. But the assertion that
he is the best attorney Sedgwick county
ever had calls out mis- record. What has
been his record?
He has tried the following cases for
murder: Art Ingram. charged with MUIR
dering old man White with a gas pipe; mot
even denying he threw the pipe, and got
of with ten years in the psnitentiary.
Paddy Shea, charged with shooting Daw-
son with intent to kill. was convicted. The
verdict was enormously drawn up, the
case was taken TO the supreme court and
was there reversed because Of the error
in the form Of the verdict. The case has
since been dismissed, with enormous and
futile costs TO the county, and new case,
for murder in the first degree fled.
In the Cunningham Mcmahon case.
Snowman McMahon was killed by Cum
bingham, from Texas. Cunningham was
arrested. The case came on ifor trial.
continuance was granted at the request Of
the state. Several expensive trips were
taken to Texas for taking dispositions, and
after all this the case was dismissed by
the county attorney at the cost of the
state. aud not coming to trial. as stated by
the county attorney, because necessary
witness could not be had. Why was not
this necessary witness placed under bond
to appear and testify a. the trial? The
total cost in this case is said to be about
s., 000 and that in the Paddy Shea case
about 81 500 Whatever the costs are, they
are enormous.
At the present term Of court the Klein
niger and Church cases were tried-the
defendants being charged with infanticide.
A great record was to be made here. But
both juries hung. At the present term of
court there were eleven criminal cases In
the docket, out of which there was ore
conviction Of petty larceny five acquittals,
two hung juries and one dismissal, and two
pleas Of guilty,
Everybody remembers the Clint Church
case. Clint Church broke into an old SOL
dier's home and store on East Douglas,
and in his efforts to escape cut the cld
gentleman up terribly. And yet this man
who Invaded an old mans home to rob
him and then mutllated him was permitted
to plead guilty and get off with an Gig lteen
months sentence.
It is easy enough TO be the "best attor-
ney Sedgwick county ever had' by getting
pleas of guilty from defendants charged
with minor offenses.
Useless expenses and costs. dismissals
of important cases, light verdicts for Sc
rious affairs, errors IN drawing up YER
diets, and pleas OF guilty in petty suits do
not point to the best attorney Sedgwick
county ever had, and is certainly refec-
ton on some mighty able men who have
occupied that place in the county in pre-
ViouS years.