Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-02-16
Editor Daily Graph &c.

Editor Daily Graphic.
In your issue of the 18th inst. you
make editorially the following state
ment: The Graphic yesterday
published in full the grand jury re-
port which contains some salty
charges of graft against certain
magistrates in Pastoria. It also dis
closes some fat fees for the Pros
ecuting Attorney, and in some in
stances where fees have been ex.
torted from unsuspecting persons
by filing Information against sc.
lected> victims and then dismissinn
the cases upon the payment OF the
Prosecuting Attorneys fee and tn"
other fees in the cases.
zone instance alone is cited in
which $40 in attorneys fees were
'mulcted' from the pockets OF help
less victims in this manner
That part Of the report of the
grand jury which refers to the pay
anent of $40 attorneys fees paid b.
the defendants in certain misde
meanor cases in Pastoria township,
is as follows:
We find fourteen cases in the
docket of J. II. Brooks, J. p. Oh
Pastoral township, in which infor-
nation was flied by the assistant
prosecuting attorney and then these
cases We're dismissed upon his mo-
ton after the victims had been
mulcted in the sum OF $40 attor-
ney's fees, paid for getting them out
of alleged trouble.
Is there anything in that state
ment that justities your statement
that "n some instances fees have
been extorted from unsuspecting per-
sons by filing informations against
selected victims and then dismiss
ing the case on payment of the pros
ecuting attorneys fee?
You evidently did not read with
care what the grand jury did say
It is not true that one penny OF
the $40 referred to in the cases in
J. B. Brooks court ever went into
the pocket of either myself, or my
deputy, Mr.. Creed Caldwell. This
fact was we'll known to every mem
Der of the grand jury who served
throughout the term and they
would not have made a report such
as your editorial outlines, nor is its
report subject to such construction
This money was paid by the parties
arrested in these cases to T. Havis
Nixon to defend them. II you doubt
this Mr.. Nixon will set your mind at
rest, If you will ask him. The full
facts about these cases are that no
informations were filed either ty
myself or deputy. In this The grand
jury committee was mistaken. About
three O'Clock in the afternoon OF the
day before these cases were set for
trial Mr.. Brooks phoned Mr.. Cai6-
we'll to come over the next day In
the trial Of some cases which were
TO be heard in his court. He spe-
cially insisted on having Mr.. Cald-
vel, to come because the defend
ants had employed Mr.. Nixon and
he thought the State should be rep
resented. Mr.. Caldwell assures me
this was the first he had heard OF
the cases and they had not been re-
ported to me. Mr.. Caldwell report
ed the matter to me and asked If he
should go. told him I thought
it best, as the justice seemed to
tn NIX his presence necessary. This
much of the matter came to my
knowledge before Mr.. Caldwell left
the next morning, the balance / got
from him, Mr.. Nixon and some wit
nesses in the case with whom at
forwards talked on another matter
which grew out Of the same trans
action. On reaching Justice Brooks
court it developed that two sets OF
negroes were involved in row
over who should control the church
where all claimed membership. One