The Forrest City times., 1905-07-14
UNJuSTLY CRITICISED.
The Trial Judge in the Covington
 Case Wantonly Assailed

The last issue of the St. Francis County News contained seversl very ui jus. uI-sdyised, and Radically un- i ju<tifisbl- criticisms of Judge l,e4. the trisl Judge in the cas-. Of the State vs Cosingten. charged with accepting sssa for his yete ard influence fer the Sta;e Capital bill.
 We qnute sryersl expressions from the News:
 When eyeryihine else seemed favor able ta 4 convection n The Covingten cas-. II has now uanspired that the .nds of justicr must be baked by the presiding judge. R. l Lea. who viii tualN instructed the case out uf court. If the jury had acted according th Les's instructions the dfendant would have ben acquitted without ihe least deiaK. but thanks te deeeney and the geo1 name at the state. there were few honest men on the iury who b.- lieve with ihr poop of Arkansas that the late Senator Coviugton IS guilty of onodliue aud should have been punished for the eF1m- Judge Lea deserves the severe criticism and condemnation of aii good citiz-Hs fo. his position Tn this matter. lee4use the judiciary of Ar kansas must certainly appear m sad plight when the law is construed to tolerate and encourage corruption and fraud snd our courts wink at the nefarious methods of boodlers and bfibe givets. There Is scarcely a man or woman n the state who has kept up with this case who is not convinced of Covington's euilt-it WAS SO plain that the .tsaytaTing man, even though fool. e1nld uot gre therein but Judge Lea tells the Jury m A roundabout WAY, to turn the defendant loose. With such men on the bench We can never hope to purge our higher depart m-nts of government of corrupt of- ficizls and filthy lucre will continue to exercise is hsieful influence in our legislative bills.
 Judge Lea's action has made of this A disgtseeful farce snd the con- d-mnstion of every sslf-respecting citi- zen of the state should be heaped upon his head
 What can Rhoton hope for when he brings his criminals iut1 court with dn exhibition of evidence strong enough
 
 then to have the trial judge instruct the jury to turn the felons loose.
 A citizen writing to the Arkansas Democrat. evidently with the best in tsrests of the State m view, makes a much fsirsr criticism than the News. He ss,s
 Editor Arkansas Democrat:
 Both in your local and editorial columns yesterday you most se- eurateIy gauged public opinion in the Covington case, and, as always, you take the proper and courageous stand where questions of public morals are concerned.
 Truly, you tell us the eyes of the people are on our judges. In a fearless and unswerving judiciary lies the only hope of reliefirom the into tolerable conditions which have obtained in our own as we'll as the legislative bodies Of other states. Judge Lea has been criticised SC freely that what has been talked from mouth 10 mouth is as well known ss though the criticisms had been published in the press. A brief review IS in order.
 Judge Lea Is reported to be 1T some degree of relationship to Mir Chapline. under indictment O similar charges to those Senator Covtngton was tried on.
 Judge Lea k said to have con terred with Judge Chapliue, rela tse of Ar. ehapline, as to the in straetious to be given the jury.
 Tho instructions, iu the words O a juror. rendered conviction i'm possible under the testimony.
 Tho verdict was practically forced one. because an hour bcfor, it was rendered the jury declared agreement was impos, J!e altei sixty hours oi deIbcratiou, Ba l worn out tx eophuemcut, one haaI more suLheed ia bring verdict
 When these allcgcmcui, are con sidered ia their relative tearibs and if il js conceded that an ac quittal ,n the drst case must bay, a latent influence on those subse quently tried, t Is not surprising that criticism Is ute. IL is re garded as hardly ethical, or al Ieas as an unfortunate selection, thai in all the judiciary none other bu a relative of another legislator under indictment should have beer called in conference. As 10 the in ! lespue4fana aa a.xraknwattva