The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1908-08-28
(From Colfax Gazette, Nov. 4, IS98)
ROASTED MATHEWS RECORD.
Beck Tore His Farcical Statement
All to Pieces.

All 10 PleceSs
W. L. Beck, democratic nominee for
prosecuting attorney, addressed a large
meeting at the court house Wednesday
evening upon the subject of the record
card gotten up by himself which Mr.
Mathews has based his claims upon. and
this Mr.. Beck proceeded to dissect in
logical and forcibIe way, after stating
that Mathews had himself thrust his re-
cord INTO this campaign; that the record
OF public official was the property of
the public and subject to criticism; he
attacked first the card issued by Math-
ews-which is being distributed in every
precinct OF Whitman county. He stated
that Matthews and his supporters knew
that Mathews had not saved to the
county the difference in expense between
the expenses in Justice court during his
administration and the administrations
OF McCrOskey, Pickrell and Garfield.
The statement Of Mr.. Mathews was un-
lair, misleading and false, because it had
ANN-''N W EthNI bHC HuUDCE OI GASES, ana
their gravity; had failed to state the de
ciaiOn OF the supreme court during Can
fields administration, that preliminary
examination before q committing magis-
trate was unnecessary before filing an
Information in the superior court; and
that the statement failed to state the
decision Of the supreme court in state VS.
dnmes, that defendant must pay his
own witness fees where he is held, and
that republican legislature had cut in
half in 1898 and 1894 the fees of justices
OF the peace, constable and sheriff-all of
which had tended to reduce the costs in
justice court. He asserted that while
McCroskey tried the Miller, Goff, Mann
ing and Largent murder eases, and over
y cattle stealing cases, forgeries,
and burglaries; that Pickrel had tried
the murder cases of Hill, McCOwan,
Champ Payne and Parker; and Garfield
the Dunnigan and Leonard murder cases.
all Of the same being brought into the
superior court after expensive prplimi-
nary examinations, and that the present
prosecutor had not tried a case that
would dignity police c0urt--al import.
ant cases tried during his administration
being tried by other lawyers.
Speaking Of the record OF Mathews in
the superior court, compared with the
record OF his predecessors, Mr.. Beck gave
some interesting figures as follows:
Figured on the Matter.
McCroskey, 1891-'92, 70 casas-16
plead guilty; "a convicted
Pickrell, 1893-'94, 1872 cases. plead
| guilty; IS convicted.
Garfield, 1895-'97, Is cases IL plead
| guilty; 81 convicted
Mathews, 21 months, 1896'97, 1856
cases plead guilty; Is convicted.
| lie went on to show and compare the
percentage of convictions to the number
OF cases brought regardless Of pleas Of
guilty-and they make, he said, show
ing as follows:
McCroskey, 1891-'92, 10 cases, "a con
victed; convictions over As per cent
Pickrell, 1693-'94, 122 cases; IS con
victed; convictions, sc per cent.
Garfield, 1895-'96, 78 cases; 81 con
victed; convictions IS per cent.
Mathews, 81 months, 1897-'98, 1876
cases; Is convicted; convictions Z per
| cent.
| He cited important tax cases that had
been neglected by the present prosecut
ing attorney. He took up the Sunday
| law record, and the law and order record
OF the prosecuting attorney, and showed
| that his record on the Sunday law was
farce and sham, and that his law and
| order record was far behind that of any
Of his predecessors.
He arraigned the present legal admin
| istration of Whitman county as being
incompetent, hypocrtical and full Of
mere pretensiOns, even though sur
rounded with a force of hired spit 8
paid BY the county.
1t was generally understood that Mr..
Mathews was to appear and call Mr..
Beck's exposition of his record down.
Mr.. Mathews was present, but silent.