Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-28
MAYORS FATE
NOW RESTS IN
JUDGES HANDS
CONTINUED From Page ~
Continued From Page ID

houses and similar abuses charged
against his previous administration,
Mr.. McNett asked why was not the
prosecution begun then instead OF
waiting until he had begun to do bet
ter and was giving as good If not the
best administration that the city ever
had. The speaker said If the attorney
general had gone to the representative
men of the city, merchants, lawyers,
ETC., and asked for grounds to make
| charges against the mayor, he should
never have begun the proceedings. He
| declared the mayor was forgiving
man, although hasty tempered and II
the very men, referring to those whom
the defense claimed were responsible
for the case, should do him kindly
act, he was sure the mayor would for
| give them for all past offenses.
Shame to Them. /,
| In touching upon the street flushing
| episode, Mr.. McNett stated that there
| was nothing spectacular about the
mayor doing that, but that he wished
| to clean the city. This. he maintained,
was proven by the fact that Mayor
Phillips spent nine days at the work
and was at Harrows branch away
from the public much of the time and
certainly not playing for the plaudits
as one seeking the spectacular.
ut is with shame that those who In
prejudice came to the stand to testify
against him in this particular should
be considered said he, "for | dare
! say that no other mayor in Iowa would
have done as Tom Phillips did in try
ing to clean the streets and help this
city. And if you would know him as
do, you would see that he has
kind of worship for the city and de-
lights in the knowledge that he Is
mayor, and tries to give attention to
his duties as he sees them"
Condition Exceptional.
Mr.. McNett then went into the in
depreciation which he claimed was
placed by the prosecution on the office
Of mayor and told Of his coming to
Ottumwa during the incumbency OF
DR.. Orr, whom he paid the compliment
of being as clearly and sanity man
as ever filled such position and q
,, general good man.
But even he did no better than the
present incumbent, said the attorney,
"as regards the government of the
city and the prosecution would have
man to be omiscient."
He recalled the time when four
prostitutes used to drive through the
streets behind q span of the best
horses in an open carriage and daily
advertise their trade, and speaking OF
/ Z. IL t. A, 49, @
evils that will creep into an admin
istration, he said that in all OF the
time he has lived in OttumWa at no
time had he seen better order than IN
the past two years and that the time
the saloons were closed in 1909 was
the only time such condition existed.
Law Taken Advantage Of.
He said he did not criticise the Cos
son law, but that in this case 1t had
been taken advantage of and that
from the testimony given the admin
stration preceding that Of Mayor
SHUTS was the worst the city ever
experienced. Mr.. McNett stated that
notwithstanding the fact that Mr.. Phil
lips was elected on an open town
issue, during the first half Of his term
had done away with those abuses he
showed that on the stand the mayor
admitted he used an cath and that ne
took a drink and he believed that the
mayor spoke with perfect candor and
told the truth. He touched on the
Kaiser place and said that the mayor
could not be held responsible for not
knowing the existence of gambling
there AS to the knowledge cleaned
~ o% al inc yIo q q
in Battle Row. and elsewhere, the
attorney did not think this sufficient,
and that even so, it was the place OF
the county attorney, sheriff, magls-
trates, constables and chief Of police
rather than the mayor to bring action
against them
Not Dishonest.
Attorney McNett stated that it Is the
spirit rather than the letter of the law
that should be considered; that In
stead Of making penalty 1t was
rather to protect the public that the
law was enacted and not because
some years ago an officer was guilty
Of some misdemeanor and should now
be punished. Even the statute OF
limitations, said he, might be brought
TO pear Oh Lue CdSc III IAoI POI IASuAe'A'
Then, too," said Mr.. McNett, I'VE
attorneys sometimes have too little
regard for a mans reputation and for
his family. feel that in this case the
charge Of corruption should not have
entered into this case as it is wholly
unfounded. and has gone out in the
press all over the country, and If there
is ANYTHING that Tom Phillips is not
guilty Of, 1t is dishonesty.
Felt It a Duty To Aid.
He related the testimony bearing on
the incidents Of April 80, and said 1t
was proven that the mayor had not
taken a drink before the meeting and
that it was peculiar that Mr.. Picker
could remember so precisely how
many glasses the mayor took In the
saloon and that Mr.. Picker was the
only one to testify that the mayor was
under the influence of liquor at the
meeting, although every other witness
who was there testified that such was
not the case. He made an effort to
show by this that the testimony Of Mr..
o; oL1or 11oo not RI ho taken 40