Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-12-26
REPLY TO THE
SANDERS.ATKINSON
COMMUNICATION

with the people of Nye county and
Tonopah in particular, regarding
their lawful "a doings in the
trials Of the men recently arrested
for violating the gambling law in
Tonopah. In the first few lines of
their frail excuse they say that
the Bonanza comes forth with the
startling assertion that all the peace
officers in Nye county are GRIMM
ais. The Bonanza did not make
any such assertion, for their are
some honest and square-dealing
peace officers in this county, and
they follow the law to the letter.
These honest officials do not twist
the law to suit their own ideas by
reducing a felony charge to that
of a misdemeanor simply to get
the money Their first paragraph
ends with "all of which is to
laugh, but these gentlemen are
not laughing, they. are worrying.
Messrs. Atkinson and Sanders
lay claim to the fact that the b.
nanza was in sympathy with the
gamblers and would have used
its influence in their acquittal if
trial had had been had before the
district court
The editor of the Bonanza did
not know but one person under
arrest, or would he know the other
four men now if passing them upon
the street The Bonanza was aware
Of the fact that the men had been
arrested for playing poker with
cards and chips at a gaming table,
and the law defines such card play
for term of years, said term be-
imprisonment in the states prison
for a ter moi years. said term be-
ing at the discretion of the Judge
before whom tried. There has not
been an arrest in Nevada, with the
exception Of Tonopah, for violating
the gambling law but what the
guilty persons have been indicted
BY the grand jury for felony; for
that is what the law says it must
be- aud the prisoners not DISCHARGED
by the payment of trivilous fine up
en- a misdemeanor charge. That is
what Judge Atkinson and District
Attorney Sanders did; found pris-
Gners guilty Of misdemeanor
when the law plainly says they
were guilty of a felony. If these
men We're, upon trial, found guilty
Of a felony, they should have re-
eeiYed their Just deserts and have
been made to serve a term in our
state penitentiary
The two erudite gentlemen would
have YOU understand that Judge
and district attorney can and may,
at any time, to- suit their pleasure
and convenience, gerrymander the
laws to suit their whim-to manipu-
late facts, arguments, etc, so as to
reach undue conclusions.
All of the explanations that these
two gentlemen could, or might
make in the gamblers arrest, would
not make them right with the
people of this county. The men
were guilty of felony and should
have been tried upon that charge,
There are four counties in the state
today where grand juries have
found felony indictments against
men arrested in the same manner.
and for the same unlawful act as
were the men in Tonopah.
The Bonanza is the recognized
monthpiece of publicity in Tono-
pah, and has always been right in
all of its charges of unlawful do
ings of others, and it is a pleasure
for us TO acknowledge the compli-
ment paid it by these two jurists-
that it has influence and power and
'oN'd 0NelN6 pubic opinion. Inc
people are opposed to the mode
Of procedure as practiced by Judge
II. II. Atkinson and District At
tornel Sanders in the cases above
referred. This is evident by the
daily comment of censure against
them. The laws are made to fol
low and obey-not to break or
twist about to suit the convenience
of officials sworn to uphold them
In the case OF Gus Pistinat of
Rhyolite some officials should blush
with shame. 1t is these miscar-
riages of the law. and the double
crossing that causes the people to
become aroused and cry out against
dishonest officials
Their explanation of their doings
is virtually an admission of what
the Bonanza printed in it's issue
under faring headlines. Simply
this, and nothing more.
G. p. Byrd, Nevada manager of