Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-23
BAD FAITH,
SAYS SCOTT,
IN NACEL CASE

''The attorneys for the defense in the
Nagel murder case have not only
acted very unprofessiOnally so far as
am concerned" said States Attorney
Scott to an Argus representative this
morning, commenting on the allusion
this paper had made to his course in
the much discussed proceedings, "but
they have been guilty of an absolute
breach of faith with me-"
1.-THE proposition to continue the case
originally came from Mr. Peasants"
Mr.. Scott went on to say. Il have the
evidence and the proof of this. He
made the suggestion at my Office on the
ground that he was busy at the time
with matters pertaining to his Office
as referee in bankruptcy which pre-
vented his giving the case the atten-
ton he desired. and on the further
account that his associate, Mr.. Weld
was then out of the city. 1t was fur
Their held up to me that this act was in
consideration of my own sorrows in the
sickness and death of my father. All
circumstances considered, / thought it
would prove mutually satisfactory to
let the case go over term.
The law provides that prisoner
charged with murder must be tried
within four months of the time of his
commitment. unless by agreement of
counsel delay is permitted. / entered
into the agreement at the suggestion
of the counsel for the defendant, and
felt particularly kindly about doing SO,
not only because l thought that l was
~ lott hi1f hat
were considerable of my own position
at that time. l acknowledge now that
was in error in not having the agree
ment placed in writing, for the attor
neys for the defense have seized upon
and sought to take advantage of a tech
nicality in order to aid a murderer to
escape the punishment of the law,
knowing full we'll at the same time
that he is guilty and that nothing could
save him from the extreme penalty
that he deserves were his case brought
to trial before jury. At the same
time they have outrageously broken
faith with me.
81 do not blame them for making a
fight for their client, under any and all
circumstances. In fact it does not fol-
and that their defense is simply an act
of duty to the court, that they should
not fight as hard as if the defendant
had plenty of backing. He is en-
titled to the best his attorneys can give
him in a Straightforward, manly fight
for his life. But here is man whom
his own counsel knows to be guilty Of
a foul and cowardly murder There is
not one eXtenuating circumstance that
should prompt the extremes to which
these attorneys have gone to prevent
his trial He is entitled to the best
defense he can get. but TO escape from
the laws vengeance on the strength of
the technicality that his attorneys are
seeking to take advantage of in the
spirit of petty political spite toward
me and involving a breach of faith with
me at that.
Beyond this, had the position in
which the case now stands been the
result of oversight and neglect on my
part, there is no element in the present
case that would justify the attorneys
the escape from trial of a man who is
known to have been guilty of the crime
OF murder
1.-THE attorneys for the defense have
broken faith with me, but they have
not yet succeeded in freeing their man,
and | do not know that they will.
They'll have a fight to the end, despite
the unfortunate advantage they have
taken of me-