Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-01-01
NOT A PROSECUTOR.

of Col. Bob Eastman, for which he
gets large fee from the Thompsons.
His salary Of S.. 900 year still goes
on all the same, and so does Congress.
without him. The Fairmont West
Yirginian and the Martinsburg indie
pendent. both Republican papers,
think that Dayton should attend to
his duty to the people, and be at his
post in Washington 1t makes little
difference. Mr.. Dayton best repre-
sents the I'd district by drawing his
salary"
The above from the Charles Town
Advocate is so unfair, unjust, mali
cious and full of venom that it should
not 90 unanswered. While it is con-
coded that the result Of the Eastman
trial is the greatest travesty Of JUS
tice which disgraces the courts OF the
State, we had decided to pass it by,
content to record our dissent; but
when a man of the character of Mr..
Dayton is held.up before the public as
a prosecutor because he, in the per
Torrance of the duties of his probes
sion, labors to bring to justice a man,
who, in cold blood, with malice afore-
thought, takes thelife of fellow man,
we deem it only fair and right and
honest to state briefly the motive for
the crime an some of the reasons why
Mr.. Dayton instead of being derelict
to duty was performing the very
highest service he could bestow upon
the people
That the murder OF Mr.. Thompson
was premeditated was proven by nu-
merous persons-friends of Eastman
who on different occasions heard
him express himself and whose testi-
mony was not contradicted save and
except by the murderer himself. 1t
was proven by Judge Hoke that two
years ago the threats were so notori-
Gus that he advised Mr. Thompson to
arm himself and be prepared TO defend
his life at all times. 1t was proven
beyond contradiction that at the time
the murder was committed Thompson
was sitting in the car, Eastman came
in, slapped him in the face and called
him a vile name. AS to the shooting
there was a contradiction. Whether
one or the other shot first is unknown.
Some say one, some say the other. 1t
was proven that Thompson drew his
revolver and fired. Eastman shot
through his pocket and killed his
victim. IF ever a man was justified
in shooting another, Thompson was.
That Eastman was fully prepared is
prov ell by the fact that his revolver
was ready Tor use. Again it was
proven that the controversy which led
to the tragedy was originated by East
ham. The Thompsons were innocent
purchasers of the property in which
Eastman had an interest. From the
very hour that the Thompsons be-
come the owners of the property,
Eastman began to annoy them. He
persuaded w. K. Mock to blow up a
dam, afterward caused it to be burned,
and for several years kept up per-
petual warfare, frequently declaring
he would kill or drive them from the
country.
Knowing all of the facts in the case,
knowing the worth of Frank +.
Thompson and the desperate character
of Eastman, Mr.. Dayton would have
been less than human had he, when
appealed to by the father of the MUIR
dered man, refused to prosecute mot
persecute) the murderer. That East
ham escaped the gallows he has only to
thank the jury. The only testimony
of any value in his behalf was his
own. We do not blame MIN for per-
iuring himself. He had committed
the highest crime known to the law
The lesser crime of perjury could
easily follow. But we do blame and
we cannot command language suffi-
GENTLY strong to condemn an editor,
who, knowing all, because of partisan
bias, attempts to smifch the character
OF an attorney for doing his sworn
duty.
AS to Mr.. Dayton's ability to prop
erly represent his constituents, we
have only to say that he has been OF
more worth, has done more for his
District in the brief space of time that
he has represented it in the Congress
Of the United States, than all of his
predecessors and he does not need any