The Forrest City times., 1907-02-08
.RHOTON AND DAVIS Prosecuting Attorney Creates Sensation by Accusing
 Senator Jeff.
JEFF DENIES, AND ASKS QUESTIONS.
Rhoton Says Governor Promised Immunity to Cook, Cox, ct al.
 if Convicted of Boodling.

NIoiOH 'dNS bONGTnoT IfOmlSSd
 Immunity to Cook, Cox, ct al.
 if COnXicted of BOodling.
 Prosecuting Attorney Lewis Rhoton of Pulaski county. in letter to At torney General Kirby. declining the services of Ex-Governor now Senator Jefferson Davis of Arkansas. in the prosecution of the boodliHg cases. created widespread sensation by openly accusing Senator Davis, of in- sincerity, and preferring charges that Governor Davis promised to pardon Cook and Cox. tie self-coHfcssed b0od- lets. If he could indict certain man. saying that if their evidence s1 far incriminated themselves as to make their prosecution and conviction uc- cessary, he Governor Davis would pardon them before they could be lodged in the penitentiarY. Also that the governor had said that it was votes he wanted and not convictions of boodlers. Davis denies all the al- legations in Rhoton's letter. and makes insinuating queries which Rhoton has not yet answered. Both letters follow. Read them and believe whichever you want to. As for us, we believe them both.
 frwrS punToNf'S [ U,,rrrup
 Little Rock, Jan. 3l, 1907.
 Hon. W. F. Kirby, Attorney General,
 City.
 Dear Sir-In reply to your valued letter Of the 30th instant, have tC say that shall be glad to have your personal and official cooperation in assisting in the investigation that is now going on touching official cor ruption.
 1 am however constrained to re- spectfully decline your kind tender of the service of the Hon. Jeff Davis. ] do this because.
 First. The Hon Jeff Davis k. as i he knows, and as hr knew when he volunteered his services, my personal enemy. though he poses at times as my friend; second, because he k as he knows and as he kneW when he #yol- unteered his services. my political eusEar.= and tafaHeH knows and oGo0S fHal NH8N. tiI5a ue 6-cd a.- official aHd personal intiugareto defeat me with q republican IHthe iast eei.- eral election, when l Was the nominee of the democratic RaH Eot This 5u- diciti circuit; third because tbe Hon Jelf Davis tnlects politics into every l thing he touches, and politics can serve H0 useful purpose III the pro motion of all igatiOn. whose i only object should be to discover the truth and administer justice. The persistent effort tO inject politics into this inVeStig igatioh from it's very incep- i ti0n to the present time has done more to impede and embarraSs the l investigation than any other thing. and. fourth, because the Hon. Jeff Davis did in the very beginning of 1 this investigation, insist and at times even demand that as prosecuting attorney, should give immunity to NJ. 1 D. l.. Cook and T. l.. Cox if they would furnish testimony to indict one cert ain man. whether he could be convicted or not, and he asked me to assure them that if in furnishing such I nate themselves as To render cOnNic- ] tion of them imperative, that he. as governor. would pardon both of them l before they could be inearcerated in 1 the peuiteutiary. And he was insist l ing upon this grant of immunity tC these two confessed b0odierS at tLo very time he WaS going over thi> state telling people that he would have Cook and Cox int the peniteutiary ] iu sixty days To the objection that to follow the course suggested hy him would mean 10 turn the investigation ] into political fight. and thereby i probably, result iHthe ultimate escape ] of all guilty parties, came his reply l that he was seeking votes more than i the conviction of boodlers. l may be wrong, but have an abiding couyic- ] tiOn that any man who, for political purposes, would be willing to grant i immunity to men like Cook and Cox. cannot be sincere in an offer of his services in the investigation Of men charged with bribery. And finally. l am moved 10 decline this offer because l the Hon. Jef Davis, once before. in January. 1905, volunteered his services to assist me in discovering those who were guilty of crime in high places. and, then. when l called upon him to do the very thing he had volunteered to dc, he refused to do so, and assigned aS his reason. that he was afraid that fl any of the members should discover i that he was assisting, the legislature might attempt 10 impeach him. And l am again of the opinion that any man who can be deterred from doing his duty by tine fear that he will lose his office or an opportunity 10 get an office, can be of little service in the work that oett to be done in this in- pestigatian.
 again assure you that shall ap- I preciate your service. CT tle service of any body actually selected Hy 9eu. the governor or thc legislature. bat still respectfully decline 1be services of thi> volunteer AefT respectfully.
 LEWIS BuorON
 Prosecuting Attorney If The SXth
 Judicial Circuit.