The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-23

Il
of means, this is expected to give him
in the eyes of the law perfect immun-
ity for violating the law, then it would
mean that only poor men should he
punished at ALL
In Justice to Boyd.
In justice to Judge Boyd it should
be recalled for the benefit of those in
Salisbury who accuse him of being
cruel for this punishment, that at the
term of court here the week before in
Furnishing Casper, who was another
popular man in his town and a dis
tiller of means, for violating the law
he distinctly gave notice from the
bench, and it was published from
Maine to Texas, that he did not APP
prove of settling crime against tbs
government in cash, for the very rea-
son that lit enabled men of means to
purchase immunity, while poor men
would have to be Imprisoned and he
distinctly stated then that he let Cas-
per pay out in Difference to an order
from the Internal Revenue Commits
sioner that the government in Casper s
case would be amply satisfied at a
fine and that there was a law which
gave this authority to the Internal
Revenue Commissioner in cases
against the departments of revenue.
u
and warning to all violatorS of the
law for the past five years that these
frauds had&to stop. Hoffman and
others guilty of these trivial offences
had no right to think he would excuse
M Ii of means or standing, for he ha /
declared expressly to the contrary ten
days before, and that nothing but an
order from the commissioner, who had
the right, would stay his hand.
n.
Of yesterday have been sent here,
strongly condemning Judge Boyd for
Furnishing these men, calling him a
bigot, bloody eXecutioner, ETC.. which
of all things in the world his friends
here and elsewhere know he is not.
From a gentleman who was present
during the whole session of the court,
it is learned that the evidence before
the judges in Hoffman's case was that
he was convicted of violating the rev.
enue law before Judge Boyd not much
over year ago. That being a young
man of popular manners and never be-
fore having been indicted Judge Boyd,
at the earnest interceSSion of prOmi-
nent people in Salisbury only fined
him three hundred dollars, two hun
dred being the lowest fine, and at the
same time especially cautioned him to
discontinue the practice Of defrauding
nue. criminal laws, or he would GER
tainly get into serious trouble. That
about three months ago this same
young man, whom the revenue officers
had every reason to believe was flag
rantly violating the law, caught him
with three barrels of WhiSkey on the
public road, without a sign of a stamp
on them, and had an exciting race
with him before he was captured.
A Question of Duty.
Again there were strong and implor-
ing letters from men in Salisbury of
high position and means, asking Judge
Boyd to let up on this popular young
man, but he did not permit his feel
ings to run away with his duty. This
gentleman also said that two other
men sent to the penitentiary had in
open defiance of the Watts law and
the Federal law been conducting one
Of the lowest down brothels and whis-
key selling establishments at Old Fort
for more than year. The place was
the resort for the lowest characters
male and female of all cOlors, ana
warnings of officers and protests from
citizens in the community had had no
effect. These. the gentlemen said
were fair samples of the triviality of
the offenses Judge Boyd had to deal
with. He also said that it was general.
ly reported in Salisbury that the pa
per which contained the unjust at
tack on Judge Boyd, was a stock
company, and one of the holders of a
large lock of stock was a wealthy
Salisbury distiller, and he had no idea
the paper reflected the sentiments of
one-tenth of the citizens so far as the
attack on the judge was concerned.
An Interview With Boyd.
When seen this morning by this cor
respondent about the matter. Judge
Boyd said he had no comments to
make in the natter that he had re-
ceived in the mornings mail many let