The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-13
Tm Messtagn.
BLACKBURN AND PR1TcHARD.

BLACKBURN AND PRITCHARD.
We see denial is made of the pub
lished statement that Mr. Blackburn
had employed Messrs. Joh G. Carlisle
and Alton 3. Parker to defend him in
the indictments recently found against
him. There is also denial by the Ashe-
Vile Gazette-News, or rather an at
tempt to explain away the statement
that Mr.. Blackburn a expressed
through his attorney a desire to Judge
Pritchard that the latter should preside
over the court during the time Of his
trial. We did not think that Mr.. Black
burn would have the gall to make such
a request after the charges he had
made against the judge.-Wilmfngton
Messenger.
We do o especially admire this ex-
preston IAN attempt to expiai away
the statement" There was a confer
ence of the friends of both sides to this
Rlackburn-Holton controversy, and
some of Mr.. Blackburn's opponents
suggested the possibility Of fixing
things UP, or arriving at some sort OF
a compromise" Thereupon Judge
Bynum said. very emphatically, that
the only terms Mr.. Blackburn wished
or would accept would be such as
might be made by a jury Of twelve
good men; hat Mr.. Blackburn was
ready and anxious to have his case
tried at any time or place. and that so
far as the trial judge was concerned
who that might be made absolutely no
difference to Mr.. Blackburn. HE add
ed Judge Pritichard being presently
that they would be glad to try 1t be-
fore Judge Pritichard. To construe
this as meaning hat they would con-
slider Judge Pritchard biased against
Blackburn and therefore their last
choice would be an injustice to Judge
Pritchard and Judge Bynum; to con-
strue it to mean that Judge Pritchard
was really Mr.. Blackburn's choice
that is a construction not to be thought
Of.
We do most ~emphatically deny that
Mr.. Blackburn ever felt or expressed a
desire" to have Judge Pritchard try
his case. He has no choiee-none what
ever.-Asheville Gazette-News
THAT they would be glad to try it
before Judge Pritchard," the Gazette
News tells us, was the expression
Mr.. Bynum, attorney for Mr.. Blackburn
used. That paper tells us two things
those words did not mean, but fails to
say what they did mean When the
lawyer of a man who has been indicted
In a court over which n of several
judges may preside says to II Of
those judges that he would be glad
to try the case before him-to nav
him preside over the court at the time
of the trial what does it mean? We
will not answer the question, but leave
it to The Gazette-News to do so.
No doubt it can answer it satisfactory
ly to Mr.. Blackburn and his lawyer, if
not to the public generally.
Another question we would like to
ask That was a conference of poll
ticians who are at wal with each other
over political appointments to Office.
The leader of one of the factions is
a man under indictment, which might,
under the ordinary procedure of the
courts. come up for trial in a court
over which Judge Pritchard will pre-
side. The leader of the other faction
is the bitter political enemy of the
indicted man. and the court officer h
presented the bill of indictment and
whose duty it will be to prosecute the
case unless relieved on personal
grounds. This conference was for the
purpose of coming to some understand
ing, it seems, of the differences be-
tween the two factions. There was a
suggestion of a compromise-compro-
mise Of what? Mr.. Bynum's remarks
show that it was of the indictments,
for one thing. Now was it the proper
thing for this circuit court judge to
be taking part in any such conference
where the question of the trial or
compromise of an indictment in a court
under his jurisdiction was brought up:
1t must be remembered that this con-
ference was held after Mr.. Blackburn
had been indicted and after he had
zone to Asheville, where the indict-
mnts were found, for the purpose of
demanding a speedy trial. The court,
of which Judge Pritchard is a presid-
ing officer. was in session or had just
adjourned after the finding of the bills
of Indictment.