Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-06-17
APPEALS TO THE PRESIDENT.
Mr. Tyner Wants Roosevelt to
Right a Wrong"
He Asks The President 10 Publicly Reverse
His official Proclamation OF His Guilt,
Given Before he Jury that
Tried His Case.

Washington, June IA. James NJ.
Tyner, who was removed from Office
as assistant attorney general for the
postoffice department during the in
vestigation of the department and who
recantiy was tried ind acquitted by a
jury, has addressed the following let
ter to President Roosevelt:
''In November, 1908, on the strength
of charges contained in a report by
Mr.. Bristow, the fourth assistant post
master general, you gave to the press
of the country statement to the effect
that gross corruption in the case of
Assistant Attorney General Tyner has
gone on for n number of years, and
after referring to me as the chief Of
fender you say that in my case the
corruption took the form of favoring
get rich quick concerns and similar
schemes; in other words the criminals,
whom it was my sworn duty to prose-
cute, paid me for permission to fleece
the public unmolested' After thus
giving your official opinion as to my
guilt, you referred to the fact that
there were three indictments pending
against me, and you called upon jury
to do its duty.
mo verdict of jury nor sentence of
Judge could have such far reaching
consequences for me as this extra
ordinary official proclamation of guilt
by you, and the ordinary machinery
of justice is probably powerlcss fully
to rectify the injustice done. Immc-
diately upon seeing your charges in
the press, l addressed you letter,
protesting that, on the mere say SO of
Mr.. Bristow. you had no right, with
out at least first giving me chance to
be heard in my defense or without
confronting me with the charges or
the evidence, thus prematurely to
prejudice me and perhaps forever
blast the good name which for nearly
so years l had endeavored to establish.
when L wrote this letter had hope
that God would spare my life long
enough to enable me to face jury of
my peers, and ! wished merely to re-
cord what believed to be deathbed
protest against your unjust action. l
have now had my day in court, and ac-
cording to the law of the land / have
established my innocence of any crime
or of any misconduct in office.
"Such a verdict in trial brought in
good faith would ordinarily be sufii-
cient vindication of an accused party,
but unfortunately in this case your
official proclamation of my guilt has
such weight that to many it practical
ly overrides the verdict of the jury. l
notice that many of your friends say
that your verdict, given before trial,
is more to be relied upon than the YER
dict of court and jury given after trial.
Against such injustice l have no re-
course except by appealing to your
sense of right and fair dealing.
I'm my letter to you l prayed that
my life might be spared until l had
convinced the American public, and
you as chief magistrate, that all my
acts have been honest. My remaining
hours are few, and though my house
is in order, and with clear conscience
i await the irrevocable summons, nev-
ertheless | cannot close my eyes with
out first appealing to you, Mr. Presi-
dent, as my chief accuser, to endeavor
20 right the great wrong which you
| ave unwittingly done me-"