Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-01-31
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
7 LAW AND ORDER COLUMN. !
= Edited nv the chairman of the Enforce
= nent C0mmittee of the 4. S. League.
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Geo, e. Sweet. the detective who worked
up cases against the blind-plggers al Will
N RI during September and OCTOBER 1alled
q appear be fore tho grand jury to testify.
He had maintained his relations WIN the
agency that employed him until 'he oay
,,h.r he was supposed to take the train LOT
"il:n.ar. Instead of coming here. viewer.
s.. n,.,,!. himself scarce. a b'nch warrant
WIS issued for him, and D putty Sheriff
Ia,:s. on. went to Minneapolis. on the "ss"r-
, ..r fir. II. the agency tina, he might be TO-
,.,ted In he cities, HI, was not found how
ever, bit us later been heard from III an
| q, her state, Thus it seems that the blind
piggers an d their friends at Willmar were
| better informed AS to Mr. Sweet than were
his employers. 1t is known that he COM
| municated with Willmar parties as late as
the Saturday previous to his flight. just
',rw much was paid him or by whom Will
probably never bA known positively but
| ,:an ,nly b. surmised. Some of the people
lu have been So vehement in their assur-
,nc..s tina: he would never appear to testify
| nov wish that they had BIT en- more careful.
| 1t proves that either they had hand In
| keeping him away. or that they we're very
ir,i,unt4 with someone who was interested
in s.purv.s ng the truth. Sweets testimony
was not only feared by the saloon gang pro-
per He was in position where he could
shed much light on other matters re'atlng
to the moral condition of the village, the
dlsv lo>ure of which might have created
| havoc among the wuuia-be aristocracy OF
the village. But he vi lded to tho tempta-
tinr. which no d: ubt was made al'uring.
~
This future Of the important witness in
number Of the 5lind-pig cases naturally
ma<'s the piggcrs and their sympathizers
feel jub !tnt But it. Is sh'rtsighted in
them to crow OVERT There is no vindicN-
tir:. for ',cm In hribiug Il witness. 1t simp-
~ is adding one crime to another. And it
| serves To open the eyes OF Willmar citizens
t., the desperate character Of the whiskey
gang which has deficd the law of the Will
lage and state. L anyone has advocated
surrender to he liquor sellers heretofore.
! he W IL he~i1a t" do now.
~
| II is of ur>e somewhat di~couraging to
tho>t who have spen' some effort and time
IN a cause Tor the public good to find them
selves in part thwurted and betrayed in this
| manner. bur it will not disheart them in
the work. There can be no compromise with
fiery spirits have not only deiied the will of
The pr"pc Of the village us expressed on the
liquor question at the polls, but they now
with their ill-gotten money defy the courts
! a nc interfere in the admnist ratiun of JUS
ticc. We will S. e whether the people will
| take such arrogant bluffs as that and give
! them the legal license they prefer to have.
*x*
! Indictments have been secured. however.
! on the evidence adduced at the village tri-
| ais and the present petit jury will have a
| chance to- deal out justice to persons ac-
cuscd Of blind-pgging, nevertheless. The
bind-pig attorneys will make a supreme at
! tempt to clear their clients and Of course
they VIII be we'll paid for it,
| ~
! 1t isn't all a bed of roses to run blind
pig eitser. evidently. even when it appears
thar it can be done without much legal re-
! strlnt. What with U S. revenue to pay,
rent and stock to figure up. spoilers to hire.
brites to pay, lawyers fees TO put up and
! prospect Of heavy fines and imprisonment
in sight, It does look little dubious. that's
4 fact. AS one OF them expressed himself
the other day: It's too bad people can't
/ let a fe'l"w alone. when he tries to make an
honestly living" He may live long enough
to realize that there are more promising
| fields for such honestly as he is displaying
than in his village
Xxx
| We would suggest that the good people of
the Village who car d" so attend court dur
in" t he rial "f the bIind-piggers. 1t will
; G intcr sting to many to see how these
cases are disposed Of. The friends of the
! pggcFS always on hand, Why not let
f! til, sc whose Influence count the other way
he present +" show that they too are inter-
tStcu in the result
*
i That an important witness defieS the
/ order Of court and abstnts himself indi-
Gates brlfely-and bribery in such case
denotes consciousness OF guilt. III short
| SUCH klBERY Is CONFESSION OF GUILT