Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-01-20
TRIAL SET FOR
FEBRUARY THIRD
Case in West Virginia Against Samuel W.
Williams for FeIOnlOuS Assault Of Judge
Joseph N. Sanders is to be Heard
al WeIch Next MOntf.


TIE wheels Of justice in the criminal
court of Mcdowell county, West Vir-
ginia, were put in motion on last Mon
day, the 17th, and the first matter OF
extraordinary Importance to come be-
fore the Judge of that honorable body
was the case of the State against
Samuel w. Williams, Attorney General
elect of Virginia.
The case in question is one of grave
Importance to the Virginia Attorney
General-elect. He stands indicted in
the criminal court of Mcdowell county
for a serious offense. 1t will be recalled
that last September, during the fling of
bill of exceptions in the Freeman
will case before the circuit Judge of
Mcdowell county, Judge Williams
threw an inkstand at an opposing attor-
ney, Judge Joseph M Sanders, of Blue
field, inflicting a wound from which the
West Virginia jurist did not recover for
several weeks. For this he was indict-
for trial unless allowed to dictate the
affairs of the court in which he was to
be tried, thus putting himself in the po-
sition of fugitive from justice. Upon
request of the Prosecuting Attorney of
Mcdowell county, the Governor of West
Virginia made requisition on Governor
Swanson of this State for the return of
Judge Williams. After consulting the
latter, Governor Swanson returned the
requisition papers to the sheriff of Nc
Dowell county unhonored, but with the
assurance that Judge Williams would
appear for trial at the next term of the
Mcdowell criminal court. This promise
was faithfully kept, and Williams, ac-
companied by an array of legal talent,
appeared at Welch on last Monday and
the case was set for hearing on Febru-
airy 3rd, he giving bond in the sum of
$500, with S. Frazier Showers, mayor
of Bluefield, as bondsman.
1t has for some time been questioned
whether os-not Judge Williams would
ever return for trial. During the late
campaign in this State, when he was
candidate for Attorney General on the
DO.hO(A obAS lAChCO, uGkG went
throughout Eastern Virginia, posing, as
it were, a martyr to Democracy s cause
and proclaiming to the people of that
section that he could not get square
deal in the Republican courts of West
Virginia, and hurled many epithets of
an unkind nature against the judiciary
and citizenry of that progressive little
Commonwealth. OF course, as every
one who has ever had anything to do
with the courts of West Virginia know,
charges of this nature are indefensible,
and, should Judge Williams not receive
a verdict agreeable to his wishes when
his case comes up for trial, it will be
safe to say that he got no more than
his actions in committing such an of
fense and his prejudicial slandering of
an honorable people merited.
During the late campaign, when Judge
Williams was speaking in Manchester,
just out from Richmond, he was ques-
toned by the postmaster of that place
in regard to some statements made by
him in the course of his speech, and, in
stead of replying in a decent manner to
the questions propounded, he hurled in
suit into the face of that gentleman by
saying ''I'm glad that you asked these
questions, because it's not often that a
Republican has an opportunity to con-
suit white man." Utterances of this
kind do not comport with the state
ment made no longer than last Monday
by Judge Williams to a reporter for
the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Not
withstanding the many vile filings made
by him at the Republican judiciary and
citizenry of the little Mountain State,
he now declares himself delighted at the
appointment of a Republican to the
Senate Finance Committee in Virginia.
This statement, of course, is taken with
more than grain of salt by those who
know the political temperament of the
Virginia Attorney General-elect, and is
generally accepted as a shrewd play on
his part to ameliorate the feelings of
the great and good people whom he has
so unjustly criticized and abused.
We venture to say, however, that re-
gardless of what friends or the already
prejudiced press of Virginia may say in
Judge Williams behalf, the authorities
in Mcdowell county will refuse to be
bulldozed or coerced, and a verdict in
keeping with the evidence in the case,
whatever it may be, will be rendered by
the jury that passes on the matter.