The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-29
ECHOES.

How 1t comes that the public so
often get views about the guilt or IN
noeence of a man accused Of murder.
which are altogether different from
the views presented to and often ac-
cepted by the trial jury, with the re-
suit that the public are disappointed
IN the verdict OF acquittalc was illus
trated in the Ford case last week hYl
one of the star Witnesses for the de-
PENDANT. There were several star
witnesses each of whom illustrated
something or other, but the star wit
ness whose testimony more particu-
larry and very strikingly explained
this contrariness Of opinion was Lee
Beekwith Mr., Beckwith conducts a
Sa'ocn at the northeasterly corner Of
Fourth street and Commercial ave
nue.. He has been there several years.
coming here from Missouri His
place of business has been an object
of interest to the police on several
occasions. There is a restaurant con
nected with the saloon and there are
furnished rooms up stairs, When
the character of the place was called
into question some time ago, it being
charged that the furnished rooms
were places Of designation for i'm
moral purposes, Mr.. Beckwith swore
that he was not the proprietor of
them (aIthough the relationship he
tween them and his saloon was al
mitted to be quite cordial, not to say
intimate-in business way. This
was brought out somewhat painfully
for the sentimental observer) In the
case of a young woman who com
planned to the authorities that she
had been cnticed into the place and
badly used. Warrants were sworn ont
and the accused were brought to
trial The young woman was from
Kentucky and she had impressed the
officers who are experienced in cases
of this sort, as being an innocent
country girl. Her appearance and
when the trial came Edward ]. Ma
ley appeared with a squad of Will
nesses who proved" conclusively
that the girl was a 'wanton' and so
the prosecution fell through and the
accused was acquitted while the girl
was convicted.
But this is ancient history The IN
cident was given to readers of The
Bulletin at the time and is ret III
here only to refresh the memory
of readers. as the attorney would say
when reading from witness pre-
Beckwiths place of business promi-
nence in connection with the Ford
case is that it was here that the
trouble began which ended little
later in the tragedy at Riddles
saloon Mr.. Beckwith's story the
morning after the tragedy was that
Ford had been in an ugly temper
when in his (Beckwith's) saloon:
that when Lewis (the man he killed.
called him "a - - liar" he
fFord) reached over the counter to
grasp bottle with the evident pur
With showed Ford's hand aside and
requested him not to make any !
trouble When Ford left he Deck |
With felt sure Ford had gone after
his gun and that there would be
trouble on his return. Beckwith there
fore urged Lewis and Kimmons to
leave. saving he wished to close up.
and he did close up his place about
two hours earlier than usual because
John Ford was ugly and he feared
be lFord) would make trouble. All
his Beckwith told Chief Egan the
morning after the tragedy.
And this story also was told sub
tautially. by Trailer another of the
efendant's witnesses. the morning
fer the tragedy. to his fellow emil
loves. and Trailer added that FordI
I