Okolona messenger., 1902-08-06

could nave except JUSTICE ne, the
Judge, the district attorney, his hired
lawyer, his newspapers and newspa-
per correspondents, all live in Kinds
county; also many other people who
are bound to his Clique by affinity,
consanguinity or the stronger ties OF
Office: and these forces were arrayed
on the side OF the prosecution.
mean to the extent Of giving to the
outside world the impression that the
governor Is a very virtuous man, and
his course, in every respect, very
/ Just one. Outside of his hired man
and himself and district attorney,
! there was in the demeanOr Of his re-
/ tainers that pretense and fustian, as
well as that want Of aggressiveness,
which gave their part of the perfor-
/ nance a serio-comic turn, showing
/ that they had no confidence either in
their tin-horn leader himself or in the
righteousness OF his cause. These
| influences are bad, because they in
dorse the actions of their master,
whether for good or evil; but coming
from men generally of good impulses,
their Inducements are only carried
far enough to receive the masters
acclaim: and, like the fools and fiat
terers of a kings court, they hold
themselves ready to cry, joyously:
'The king is dead; long live the
kingl" But not so with the governor
and those who we're paid to give him
vindication. They fought with that
latitude and viudication. They fought
with that latitude and vindictiveness
which is born of desperation, and, 10
their vain efforts to find a lodgment
for their venom, swept almost the
entire fieid of punishable offense 9. /
The governor even imposed his
Objectionable presence into the trial
to the extent OF helping to select the
jury, and, in this, went to the extent
of forcing the defense to exhaust a
peremptory challenge on a veniremau |
related to him. The statement al |
ready made herein will show how he |
allowed false statements, false inn
pressions false differences and false /
arguments to 60 to the jury with all |
the force his witnesses and attorneys |
could give them. He has also allowed |
his newspapers and newspaper cores
pondents to publish statement after
statement and rumor after rumor
against me, when he knew they were
untrue, thereby seeking to poison the
minds Of the people, especially those
Of Kinds county, against me. The
governor was particularly anxious to
keep the jury and the people from
learning of the Jackson transactions
and his connection with them; and
that he expected this to be done is
shown by his denial, in his first testi-
nOny, OF any knowledge or consent
with reference to making these trans
actions. It is even said that he gave ,
assurances that the court would take !
ARE of this point. Anyhow, his law {
7er did fight this point stubbornly, {
ind succeeded, as I have shown, in {
laving most Of these things excluded; {
lot that we claimed them to be a6-
generally, but only as going
o the credibility Of the governor as a {
witness. These things, and others !
mentioned, coupled with the fact that !
was almost stranger 60 the people
Il Kinds county, would naturally in {
rease the seriousness of my position {
yhen arraigned for trial. The fact l
hat under the circumstances, nine &
1rors out of the twelve arose above t
his i1defensible, unjust and vicious J
and were ready, without i
word of argument, to declare me {
innocent, is not only a vindication for G
or me, but credit to the manhood of 6
Iinds county.
What has been shown t
a. That others we're the guilty e
mes.
(2.) That the governor was direct 8
y responsible for some OF their guilty t
.oings, and guilty himself under the ?
aw. Z
(S.) That it became necessary to g
prosecute some one as a vindication Z
4 the governor in putting Showers t
nut of Office.
a. That terms were made with Y
itowers, because to have prosecuted t
i'm would have involved the COVER a
Tor and the Jackson transactions; and, t
(5.) That Armistead and 1 were t
elected for his vindication because a
We we're strangers in Kinds county :
nd would be the easiest victims. b
Longino says the parties would new d
II have brought the money back If Y
hey had known they were caught; il
Dut his lawyer, Judge Brame, says r
hey brought 1t back "atter they knew i
ge'd caught 'em." The fact is that I
he governor never had any more G
ears about getting this money back I
han he did in getting the money out ?
4 his banks. Why did be not clinch 0
{ and cry "stop thief" when be got 2
/ back in July2 He had all the proof t
10 ever had that it had been out g
ince March, and that it would be d
AIKEN out again soon. will tell you q
yhy: He wanted to give Showers I
ime to get the 800, 900 in silver back b
which he had directed Showers to put
,ut. This money was out ct the v
anuary court Gas we wished to prove 6
N the trial, but they would not let (
Is), and there was no letter written
jtOwers then to bring it back-no I
'igilance shown to see that It was re- G
uFned Why2 Because the COVER g
Ior was not trying to catch some one {
lse theni The governor said, just
fter the second count, to q New {
orleans press reporter who asked {
7here the missing 100000 was, that t
! was s'up to Mr.. StOwersn to explain {
he matter to the public, and he (Lon-
ino) would not say anything until q
Itowers had an opportunity TO ex-
lain. Showers, indeed! He ad
nits now that he knew then all about {