The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-05-14

N0oAnHo uscu W sA tuAC COupI OmlSe
was splitting the difference between
God and the devil and giving the devil
the biggest half" Better far that
Hunter had escaped the meshes of the
law than all this endless trouble, i'm
mense cost and farcical ending.
We are ordered by the law loving and
law enforcing people Of Ringgold county
to reject this sentence of Judge Parrish
with becoming indignant dignity. We
do not want it. 1t ls not what We
earned and asked for. II is not ade-
quate or in any way commensurate
with the crime committed and Of which
Hunter WAS found guilty. Judge Par.
rish-we speak metapho horioally-msy
take it back and do what he pleases
with it. We do not wish to see it nor
hear Of it. We are exhorted to "abhor
that which is evil" and this sentence in
the light of all circumstances connected,
we give the benefit of all our holy heart
felt adherence. In the name of Ring.
gold county, good citizenship and re-
spect for law and order, decency and
virtue we spit upon it. For once, and
the only time in life, we regret that We
do not use tobacco 80 that We might
spit upon it more viciously. The sen.
tence is breeder Of anarchy and mob
law, and not Of law and order. We
have hoped and waited for justice. We
have labored for it night and day, yes
and paid for it q big price, and at the
last the little of it that was left, even of
that we have been robbed. We have
asked for fish and been handed out
wriagliEg, poisonous serpent.
Ringgold county good citizenship ia
angry and does well to be angry, con.
sldering that long, dusty legal road we
have travelled and its ending. The sen.
tence is received with feelings of indig.
nation. 1t is regarded as an insult to
the sense of justice of the county. We
resent it as an injustice and wrong and
wholly uncalled for by the situation
and circumstances.
And now we wish to talk candidly to
the people of kinggold county, and to
all concerned. 1t is high time for truth
and candor, for the Mt. Ayr community y
has been long suffering and forbearing.
We have endured great injustice and
the ISLANDERS of many. Matt Hunter,
the maryter of the defense, aboded in
Mt. Ayr tan or twelve years. He was
we'll known to all citizens capable Of
observation. In all that time he was
never known to earn an honest dollar or
to do an honest days work. Hs was a
sponge and leech upon society, and az
he testified lived eight years off the
gaming table. That fact was we'll known
to the general fame Of the community.
Every decent father who tenderly loved
and watched his son dreaded him and
his influence as he did viper. Every
virtuous loving mother who guarded
her son as 'the apple of her eye''
shuddsred as she passed him. 1t was
believed, and for the best Of reasons,
that he had ssduced many innocent
young men into gambling lives. He
had not spark Of honor, if there can
be such thing among gamblers, but
stole with loaded dice. He had been
indicted, convicted and fined and i'm
prisoned. No man, not even his best
friend would 60 on his bail bond. He
was brought to the court manacled, be-.
cause no man would trust his honor.
The fear and dread Of him was upon the
whole community.
There is always an evolution in vice,
as in virtue. 1t goes from bad to worse,
until at last it bursts upon commun.
ity like hidden torpedo. 1t fortu.
nately often destroys itself, but alas it
involves others. A crisis comes, a
bomb bursts and scatters death and
desolation all around. So in this case.
AS the result of gambling quarrel
Matt Hunter murdered Homer Holland
in "cold blood" We insist that is the
trend of the testimony of Anna Line.
burg, ]. n. Liggett, Doctor Bailey, Joe
Warner and many otker witnesses call
ed to prove it, and whose testimony
remains unimpeached. 1t is believed
that the jurymen in the last trial would
have been glad to haye found such a
verdict. No legal legerdermain can ever
wipe out the fact, fol fact it is, notwith-
standing the 1.-the manipulation of the
law and interested lawyers. 1t stands
an ineradicable, damnable fact, utterly
inexcusable and wholly indefensible.
1t was regarded as self-evident fact at
the same time and as much so as the
shining of the sun at midday. 1t was
80 seen and admitted by all and was
never doubted until legal experts began
their disfguring process. He was ar.
rested. The writer sat at his Office desk
viewing the whole scene. There was