The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-12-12
THURSDAY, DEC. II, 1901.

ground that insufficient evidence had
been brought out to warrant holding
them to the Circuit Court for trial.
Here endeth the first lesson.
The District Attorney has worked
with all possible diligence to establish
a case, but it was impossible to get the
evidence in such shape as would ad
nit of it's being presented to the court.
The accused aldermen were ably de-
Tended by an attorney who has had
considerable experience in conducting
the defense of men charged with
bribery and. he left no stone nnturned
in his efforts to secure his clients re-
lease.
He made no particular effort to con-
flute the evidence as presented, but
contented himself with objecting to
the admission of testimony and argu-
ing the points of law involved and
succeeded along these lines.
The outcome of this case recalls the
story of the English hunter who was
very poor shot. On one of his hunt
ing trips he fired time and again at
the flying birds and never scored hit.
He was becoming discouraged, when
suddenly he noticed feather floating
in the air, and, turning to his game
keeper, exclaimed IN great excitement:
''See that feather!' "Hunt for the
body" 81 must have killed one that
time!' The attendant, who naturally
wished to encourage his employer as
much as possible, replied slowly: emo,
you didn't exactly hit anything that
time, but you gave them -- bad
scare"
However, whether these men were
guilty in the eyes of the law or not is a
secondary consideration. Enough evil
dence was not brought out at this trial
to admit of the defendants being held
to the Circuit Court or to warrant the
arrest of other suspects, but enough
evidence was brought out at the Gas
ter examination to enable the public to
form a pretty accurate opinion as to
the passage of the ordinance, and also
as to who got it. The testimony of
Alderman K1eist, in particular. in the
Caster case, which was published in
full in the EVENING News, and which
was read and discussed by every man
in the city, was a revelation. This is
probably substantially the same evil
denCe as was sworn to by Caster in
his written confession, which has not
as yet been made public. On the last
day the examin alton degenerated into
a farce. The ex-defendants, their
counsel and friends were naturally
overioyed at the failure to establish a
case, and the District Attorney con-
tented himself with getting the wit,
nesses on record under oath, probably
for future reference. To borrow a
phrase from the glossary of football
terms, the ''team work was superb and
impressive and showed the results of
the careful work of the coaches" 1t
seemed to the spectators on the side
lines, however, that some of the wit
nesses were slightly overtraiued
Every one recognizes that desperate
cases require desperate remedies, and
that it was no time to stick at trifes,
but what was the use of some of the
witnesses swearing that they had
never talked of a case which has been
discussed by every man, woman and
child in the city. Some of them had
considerable difficulty in remember
ing that they had ever seen the de-
PENDANTS, much less talked with them.
But what travesty on justice if the
courts send poor, de1uded Caster to the
penitentiary alone. Is this man to
bear all the sins of "the people ? J"
His erstwhile companions in misery
will probably permit him to gang his
ain gait now, and only insist as 'the
last full measure of devotion" that he
keep his mouth shut.
Perhaps some others of our distin-
guished citizens whom the electors de-
light to honor may decide that it is
better tor all parties concerned 10 Sc
clude behind prison walls-safe from
the searching questions of District
Attorneys, inquisitive friends, and
other "interferin" disturbers of oficia
repose-this poor, weakened brother
VINO is subject to attacks of remorse
and who, while in a penitent mood
seeking absolution, occasionally tells
the Truth and makes the fatal error of
swearing to it.