Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-08
ONLY VERDICT POSSIBLE
Lawyers Sag 10 sell Case Gould Have
Rssultsd No Other wy.
PRAISE SLABAUGH FOR his ZEu
Papers that County Attorney
was DereIiet In His
Duty.
ONLY VERDICT
POSSIBLE
PRAISE SLA8AUsH FOR HIS zEGl

Prominent Omaha ATTORNEYS resent tbo
inputations cast by the two yellow Aour-
mails Of Omaha upon County Attorney sla-
baugh in his course OF trial OF the HovvelI-
: Rosewater case. They firmly dycIare no
other result than a verdict of mot puiItX, :"
such as the jury returned, was possible In
the light Of the evidence, and that the
county attorney was not ard could not be
derelictin bis duty Of prosecuting the case.
CITY Attorney Breen, VINO drew the orlRi-
nal information, doesn't think there we're
any grounds for It. here are some of the
expressions;
Former Senator Matthew A. F4au-Na ma
. can convince me chat Judge slabaugh was
derelict to his duty. He il not buIlt on
that plan he Is a most conscientious on
cial and believe gave the case all the at
tention IL demanded His assistant MI
shotwen IL an earnest and ambitious Young
man. who would be liable to err, IL at all.
IN enthusiasm Of prosecution rather than
AGAINST II cannot pass on the evidence
adduced. as was away, but have no
doubt that the twelve men composing the
jury did their very best to reach a correct
verdict.
Ralph w. Breckenridge-To the question
as TO the strength Of the evidence cannot
answer either way. because did not fol-
low It close enough, In a general way I
paid some attention to the progress of the
trial and / am perfectly satisfied that the
county attorney is incapable OF being and
was not derelict in his duty.
Fearless and Earnest.
Il. a. Donohoe-I was IN and out OF the
court room several times while the trial
was going on. My observation leads me to
say he discharged his duty fearlessly and
earnestly. Thera -os,k,R -
than that reached, In my Judgment. The
county attorney was handicapped very
much by the conduct of his principal Wit
ness, as look at H.
Howard II. BaldrfRe-Frpn, a general
knowledge Of the case II geeps TO me that
the verdict was a Just one l have always
Found County Attorney Slabaugh to be will
ing and ready to do his duty at all times
ana think he did SO in this instance
did not see how Mr. Fsosewater could poss,-
bly, be convicted.
William Baird-I did not expect any other
outcome. From tse information of the case
obtained throiHh the newspapers con-
slider the verdiet as Il should be. I can see
no evidence inducing the belief that the
county attorney was derelict in his duty
and I don't think he was
James ~ Adams-I have paid no great
attention to the case. but from what
he@rd ard saw in the papers the county
attorntG prosecuted the case with vigor
nave been told this by persons In a position
to tndge
CITY Attorney John p Breen-I drew up
tne original information in the case, but
truth to say, I don't know whether there
was any genuine ground for It or not 1
: have no reason to believe that County At
torney Slabaugh conducted the case other
than was right and proper.
H. w. Pennock-I have no reason to think
the county attorney was derelict in his
duty.
Verdict a Logical One.
George A.. Magney CORNER assistant
cotpftg attorney1-I wouic say, from what
read of the case as 1t progressed, that
The verdict given was the logical outcome
90 not nee that County Attorney Sla-
haugh was at all derelict in performing
his duty. From my knowledge of the law
governing that class of cases 1 believe he
did all that he could DO as public prusecu-
tor
Charles y. Clapp--whiie did not follow
hhe case closely. from what 1 read and
heard, and In the light of the judge s
charge, there could have been no other
result. do not believe there is the slight
est ground for the intimation that the
county attorney was not earnest and faith.
full in performing his duty.
W. NJ Giiler OF Weaver q Gnler-f do
not believe there would have been any
other result, under the circumstances, no
matter II dozen county attorneys were
engaged. So far from believing that County
Attorney slabaugh was guilty OF trying to
make farce OF the trial, my observation
when Mr.. Howell on the stand gave
me the impression that he was
responsible for much Of the farcical MAJ
ter. IL there was any. He had a suspic.
ious twinkle about the eyes all the time
tbAt observed the case.
\. n Reagan-So far could form an
oS1nion from the newspaper reports, Mr.
Slabaugh endeayored to discharge his full
duty In the case. He is man OF earnest
ness and ability. who does not tribe ir
matters he handles in court.
Former Judge Ben S. Baker-It was the
duty OF the jury. and II alone. to pass or
the evidence. We must presume that th'
Jurors did their duty in unbiased and
unprecedented manner untT the contrary Il
shown Judge Slabaugh is an honorable
clean gentleman. and undoubtedly per
formed his duty fully and completely as h,
understood IT,
same Old spleeh and Envy.
AecordinB TO the junior yellow, the jur!
in the Howell Rosewater criminal hbe
suit brought In a verdict OF acquittal afte
being out three hours. According to tn
senior faItery II took three hours and
quarter for the jury TO agree. As a mat