Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-08-15
JUSTICE LEES STATEMENT
His Explanations Of Injustice TOwaros
Him By , he coanty
Commissioners
Commissioners


Mr.. Editor Believing your valuable
paper stands for justice as well as for
the interest of the people. l ask you
TO give me space for the following
state menf:
1 nave. very unwillingly. been COM
DelIed TO enter suit against the COM
missiners of Anne Arundel county for
a balance due me for work done as
Justiee of the Peace. That the public
may understand the matter, beg TO
EXPLAIN | was appointed a justice of
/ the peace of the State of Maryland for
the Second Election District of Anne
Arundel County by the Governor of
| the state.
Since my induction into office | have
made three reports to the commission
ers. The last two were held up on the
claim Of my jurisdiction. The real
reasons. as | view them, are purely per-
soual. and are directed by certain in
diyiduals which / will attempt TO
show Now, when l received my APP
pointment Mr.. George A. Basil, the
out going magistrate, rendered me his
office, and any assistance he could
give free of charge. The first cases
that came to me from Eastport were
tried in his office. Mr.. Burgess serving
the warrants. That was during the
month of May. The bill and report
for that month was presented TO the
commissioners the first part of June,
and paid, not a word was said as TO
nv jurisdiction, on the contrary, the
President of the Board commended
me for my economical showing.
The Attn of June was pension day.
Just before that time several citizens
of Eastport who were pensioners, re-
ouested me to come there and fix their
napers for them. I consented to do
so. Mr.. Richard CLANCY being located
more centrally, gave me the use of a
room in his house On the 4th Of
June went there for the purpose.
On nv way l met Mr.. Frazier. He re-
marked TO me as we passed: II sup
pose you will see Basil today" My
reply was II suppose so. !" He then
replied 81 will break you up very
quickly" / did see MI. Basil and got
him to show me how to fix the pen
sion papers. Any magistrate we'll
knows how difficult these papers are to
fix up, as are all legal papers, and /
can see no reason why the outgoing
Justice should be debarred from rem
dering the incoming justice some as
sistance. and / gladly accepted Mr..
Basil's help on that day. His only
help since was to draw up warrant
for me, and from time to time he has
advised me as to the law in certain
cases. he has received no percentage,
nor any share whatever in any case
from Eastport or anywhere else.
Nv warrants have been drawn up by
myself and the cases tried by me only.
After that 4th of June my troubles be-
gan. The very next warrants Mr..
Burgess served for me during June he
was notified by the commissioners not
to serve any more and when my June
report went in, they refused accept
ance on the ground that Officer Bur-
CESS had no authority to serve war
rants for me. A short time after that
| was notified by the counsel to the
board that / had no jurisdiction in
Eastport, which we all know is part
of the first precinct of the Second
Election District. The cases from
Eastport, however, continued TO come
to me and were tried at my Office in
Germantown. l had then been adj
vised by counsel to direct my warrants
to some other office, which l did.
The first part of August rendered my
report and bill for the month of July,
and that one was held up on the
ground that / had no right to try cases
from PASSPORT Now note, my first
report was accepted, although the cases
were tried in Eastport, and Officer
Burgess served the warrnts. The next
one was held up on the ground that
Officer Burgess had no right to serve
them. The next report was held up
on the ground that had no jurisdic-
ton.
have been Democrat all my life,
and have always voted the Democratic
ticket, and am proud of Democratic
principles, which stand for legal
rights to all and special privileges to
none. " but it makes me blush to see
such material power disregarding
those old and time-h onored principles.
And now, Mr.. Editor, word i'll con-
clusion. Mr.. Basil may have had his
faults and doubtless did have them.
as we all have, more or less faults, but
/ do think it is time to stop this ma
licious persecution against harmless
man, who is, / believe, trying TO lead
different life from what he has led
in the past.
Very respectfully,
VIM. ID. X. LEE,
Justice of the Peace for the Second
district of Anne Arundel County.
fadv \