The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-07-11
District Attorney Stephenson
Comes Back
Editor Grit Advocate:

The following article ap-
peared in the News of June 81, and,
In justice to my self and in order that
the people of Sedgwick County NAV
know the truth of the matter, as well
as the motives which prompted Its au-
thor to write it, ask for space in the
Grlt-Advocate; with confidence that
the men and women of the County will
Judge fairly after reading both sides.
If have erred, to err is human, and
claim to be human, then | should te
condemned by all classes. There is a
class of people, however, who are now
and ever since the organization of So
clety have been, opposed to law and
order and at all times opposed to otfic-
ers of the law. This class is composed
of the criminals and near-criminals.
From this class an officer NAV not ex
pect justice and am not in a position
to expect it of them. The article re.
ferred to is as follows:
COMMUNICATED.
Editor of The News:
1.-The Fall election is app
roaching and it behooves the average
voter to get out his tomahawk, Mr..
Quitman Brown, an old time resident
and lawyer of Eastern Colorado, has
contributed some interesting articles to
Sterling paper. He charges that an
organized ringis running public affairs
in this section of the state, political
and otherwise.) 1t is said that cur
present district attorney {Jvd<e Steven
SOM will nQt)b be candinats for reel
ection an view of the record he
has made, hope, for the good of the
taxpayers and the republican party he
will not be. This is the gentleman who
employed brigade of ''spotters" to
stir up trouble in the distrirt and add
to his fees as district attorney. Some
of them were notorious bOOt-leggers
from Fort Morgan, while one of them
was Cripple Creek gambler. In
other words, our honorable district at
torney employed law breakers to per-
suade other people to break the law.
That is, hismethods were like the old
darkey's cOon-trap, it was set ''to
catch 'em a. comm and a-going." 1t
is said in this way he secured numer-
GUS indictments in this county for
which he presented bill to our county
commissioners for 500, and. which
our commissioners, to their credit be
it said, proceeded to turn down. Only
one of these indictments was brought
to trial, that was, the ease of a boy
who was detected (by the Cripple
Greek gambler) in the awful crime of
playing pin pool for % cents cue. In
such a trifling case most people would
consider that a police court fine would
be ample punishment. This, however
would not suit our honorable district
attorney. He was after fees. hence
the matter was invested with all the
dignity of state case. the county put
to an expense of several hundred dol
lars and the boy fined and sentenced
to Jail until the fine be paid. The
boys attorney subsequently secured his
release on the ground that such SEN
tence was illegal and in itself a VIC
lation of the law, as the boy under its
terms Gf he could not raise the fine)
might be confined in jail during his
natural life time
In my opinion, it (the case)
was simply a grab at the treasury of
Sedgwick County, lowering of the
legal profession and its prosecutor
should be condemned by the voters of
the district, regardless of party
Respectfully,
Omer C. Flora.
The author of the above
letter is guilty Of very violent as
sumption when he classes himself with
and offers advice to the ''average vot-
err He is out of his class. for he is
neither an "average voter nor has he
the ability or integrity to advise those
who pay taxes and obey the laws.
make these statements because know
that Omer c, Flora purposely misstat-
ed the case and am going to show
why he attacks the district attorney,