Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-05-17


1t is amusing to observe how the
Cresset lodges and squirms in an at
tempt to shield its kindergarten county
attorney. We don't blame the Cresset,
that's its business. 1t is one of the du-
ties of republican paper to apologize
for the party's misfits and incompetents
even though it requires breach of
facts. OF course the Cresset attempts
to shift the blame for the Cottrell blum
der on G. w. Ellis, ex county attorney.
We knew it would, before the paper
came out because those were the gangs
instructions. But people who are cap
able of doing their own thinking won't
accept the apology. Griffin had many
opportunities to see and consult the
prosecuting witness long before Cottrell
was either arrested or extradited, and
draw up the information to tit the case,
and we are frank to say he would haye
done 80 if he had known what the law
required. But that conjunction, ''if,"
is mean little thing. AS we stated
last week, Judge Ellis Issued the infor-
nation at the time when the girl was
abducted, did not know the exact ma
ture of the crime and hence cannot be
justly censured. The Cresset says 1.-The
county will not have to pay for special
attorney to try the case" This is true
but the only reason is that the defend
ant pleaded guilty to the second charge.
If the defendant had understood his
rights in the matter, he would now be
at large. The sheriff, however, proved
to be better lawyer than the county
attorney and induced Cottrell to waive
preliminary after his second arrest, else
he would have been entitled to return to
Missouri. The Cresset says again, "the
result shows that he adopted the proper
course, that it saved costs" The re-
suit shows nothing like it; 1t shows that
two actions were had when only one
was necessary and the costs are conse-
quently greater. II Cottrell would have
had money the probability is that he
would not have pleaded guilty, but
undergone second trial, taken his
case to the supreme court and escaped
punishment for his crime under tech
nicality of the law, all because of an in
competent prosecutor. Our other state
ment that Griffin was not entrusted
with single case without assistance
since his blunder in the Cottrell In
stance, remains undisputed by every
body. The INDEX has stated facts
and the records bear us out, ''animus"
or no 'animus." When LIE. Beals was
county attorney the Cresset grabbed at
every straw to belittle him, and Beals
was lawyer. Now Griffin is elected
on the republican ticket, never practic-
ed law, has no knowledge Of law, makes
a blunder in every case he undertakes
to prosecute and must be watched like
baby at a wash tub, yet the Cresset
comes out and says he is an able attOrn-
ey, makes no mistakes, and everybody
who dares to criticise him in the inter-
est of the taxpayers and the individuals
who are compelled to employ attorneys
to do that for which public officer is
paid lis actuated by" animus. 1.-THE editor
of the Cresset is not only foolishly incOn-
sistent, but is disgusting and inexcusa-
BILE in the eyes of all honest men in the
publication of apparent falsehoods. To
these depths have the wearers of party
collars descended