The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1900-04-20
PURITY MOVE" MOVES
Threatens to Scatter the Denizens
of the Tender1oin District
Similar Move Begun in Other
Parts of the State = Saloons
Opens Doors for Business Near
the City Hall.

mot guilty." was the verdict Oh
twelve men, good and true, where
in Charles W. Shomo was charged
with assassinating Charles Nor
bacher some three months ago. Nc
motive for committing the act
though there might have been sus-
'picious circumstances, tending
more or less to incriminate Mr.
Shomo, the accused, is what
prompted the return of such a
verdict.
Without venturing an opinion
one way or the other as to the
probable guilt or innocence of
Shomo either suspiciously or other
wise, the mot guilty verdict re-
turned by the jury was the worse
rebuke the police department OF
this city has ever received since
the present "weak sister" has been
at the head Of the department.. A
spirit of unfairness has apparently
been the ruling spirit on the part
of the police department and the
prosecuting attorneys Office as
well every since Shomo was first
taken into custody, charged with
the crime. In fact, it was that
spirit of unfairness, it would seem,
that first prompted the arrest of
Shomo. Months prior to the kill
ing the police department decided
to drive Shomo out of business in
this city for no other reason than
because he protected certain
class of people below the dead
line that the chief Of the police
and his sleuths had decided to
drive out of the city. He was re-
peatedly warned to desist from it
or he would be the looser thereby,
but he paid no heed to the warn
ing, and, from time to time since
then this man Shomo has been the
victim of divers police chastise-
ment. The killing of Morbacher
near Shomo's home afforded his
police enemies an excellent oppor-
tunity to do him to a brown finish,
and so no time was lost on their
part in having him arrested, and
then began a systematic scheming
on the part of the police to hang
their old-time enemy, whether
guilty or not guilty. 1t was not
SO much the murder of Morbacher
that the police seemed to desire to
revenge, but the disobedience that
Shomo had shown to them, in
other matters, and lastly, it is
limited, because he would not ''dig
up" to them as the other men in
that business were monthly doing.
1t is very commendable on the
part of any police department to
ferret out crime and bring the
guilty to justice, but when the
police clearly show that what they
are doing in that direction is being
done from a spirit of animosity
and revenge, then, even though the
accused be guilty, he or she should
be acquitted. Officers of the law
are to see that justice and not un-
justice is done, and The REPUBL1-
CAN has no doubt in it's mind but
that the police department of this
city, aided by the prosecuting at
torney's Office, have endeavored to
hang Shomo at any cost, simply
because he had brooked the will OF
the chief of the police. Such is a
sad commentary for the protection
Of the citizens Of any community
on the part of the police, yet il
nevertheless seems the true state
of affairs that now exist in Seattle
The purity move," which has
been active since the last munici.
Ipal campaign, has decided to take