Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-31
CHAS. W. RAThBUN.
Republican Nominee For Prosecuting
Attorney.

Western people are always proud of
their young men of the right stamp.
In every profession and at the head of
many of the big enterprises in the west
are found young men. 1t is this forg-
ing of Young men to the front in every
occupation that attracts men of energy
and ambition to the west, following
out that time-worn but sage advice OF
Horace Greeley, Young man, go west
and grow up with the country Such
a young man is Chas. w. Rathbun,
Republican candidate for prosecuting
attorney of Adams County, who was
born in Dakota county, Nebraska,
September Is, 1878, being % years
of age. He received high school edu-
cation, afterwards entering the the
Iowa College of Law department of
Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa,
one of the leading colleges and law
schools of the middle west.
He graduated with honors in May,
1900, at the age Of 81, and was admitted
to the bar of the Iowa Supreme court.
Attracted by the possibilities of the
young state of Washington he came
west in April, 1901, and was SO i'm
pressed with the state that he filed on
homestead in Adams county three days
after his arrival.
He was admitted to the bar of the
Washington Supreme court in January,
1902, and opened an Office in Ritzville
the following June. To prove his fur
Their faith and permancy of his resi-
dence here he married Washington
girl two years ago. w. 7. Warren.
present Judge of the Superior court,
gave him the appointment of Court
Commissioner in January, 1905. and he
has very capably filled the position.
Possessed of keen perception of
right and wrong and high moral sense
of justice he has all the necessary
qualifications for the conduct of the
prosecuting attorneys Office.
Mr.. Rathbun possesses an atfable
and pleasant disposition and is outspok-
en- on all public questions. Since coming
to Ritzville he has made many friends
in both social and business way. He
wishes to meet all the voters before
election. His offices are rooms and Z
second floor of the Gritman building.
Walter Staser, county attorney, has
sent out circular letter stating that
his record during the term of office just
closing, is one upon which he has a
right to ask the people to elect him.
The truth about the matter is that
during this term of Office, there has
been just twenty-three criminal cases
in the Superior court, in which any
resistance has been made on the part
of the defendants, and convictions have
| been secured in but three. In two of
those three, special counsel was en-
ployed, so that Mr.. Staser has himself,
secured just one conviction in twenty
three cases.
The costs in the other twenty cases
have amounted to thousands of dollars,
all of which has been paid by the tax
payers of Adams county.
A record of such uniform failure of
the business of the Office of prosecut-
ing attorney, means that something is
radically wrong with the conduct of
that business. The county attorney is
the one who has the right to say wheth-
er these criminal cases shall be COM
menced, and it is his duty to investigate
the facts and determine whether or not
any prosecution shall be instituted
| The fact that twenty out of twenty
three Of the persons charged with crime
and brought to trial, have been turned
free, means either that the county at
torney has not made the proper investi-
cation before bringing the cases, or
that he has proved to be an absolute
failure in the trial of the cases when
they were commenced.
The following is list of the twenty
three contested cases in the Superior
court, and statement of the result of
each:
State VS.. Mari, not guilty.
State VS.. Tuggle, dismissed on demur.
State VS.. Wilson, not guilty.
State VS.. Phelps, dismissed on demur.
State VS. Tobicoe, not guilty.
State VS.. thinner, not guilty.
State VS.. Lemaster, not guilty
State VS.. Rogers, not guilty.
State VS.. McGannon, guilty. Tried
by special counsel.)
State VS.. Forsythe, guilty. Tried
by special counsel.)
State VS.. Pechtel, not guilty.
State VS.. Schinrock, not guilty.
State VS.. Parten, not guilty.
State VS.. Thorp, dismissed on motion.
State VS.. Burdess, not guilty.
State VS.. Geile, dismissed on motion.
State VS.. Oerdinius, not guilty,
State VS.. Gray, not guilty.
State VS.. Flanagan, guilty.
State VS.. Alley, defendant released,
nothing done.
State VS.. Glacken, dismissed on de-
muir
State VS.. Meyer, not guilty. Tried by
apon;ol oottpco1 /