St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-06-28
SHERIFF FAILS To
TAKE BACK PRISONER
walters Is Still in Columbia
JaIl--May Not Be Brought
For Seyeryl Months.

Sheriff M. L. Swords and
deputy Henry E. Estorge re-
turned to this city on Monday
morning from Columbia, Miss,
where they had gone to take
nossession of William C. Wal
fers. who is in the Columbia Jail,
accused Of having kidnapped little
Bobbie Dunbar, near Swayze
lake in August. But when they
arrived in the Mississippi city
they were informed by Sheriff
Harthorne of Marion County
that he had orders to retain the
prisoner. Armed with extra
dition papers signed by the Gov
ernor of Mississippi and Govern
or Hall, of Louisiana, the Louisi-
ana representatives were unable
to bring Walters to Opelousas,
since Attorneys Dale and RaWls,
for Walters, have applied for a
habeas corpus, the hearing to be
held in Columbia on July the
End.
1t now appears that the
alleged kidnaper of Robert Dun
bar will be kept away from the
Louisiana authorities for a long
time. 1t might be five years be-
fore the itinerant tinker will be
given a trial; he might never
come to Louisiana. The attor-
neys who are making a desper-
ate fight to save the alleged kid
naper are determined to obtain
the habeas corpus. If they
should lose they will take the
case into the higher courts. This
means that it will be a long time
before the prisoner will be turn
ed over to the st. Landry sheriff,
in the case a writ of habeas cor
pus would be denied the Missis-
sippi lawyers, in the Supreme
Court of the United States, as it
requires months and months be-
fore the hearing will be at an
end in the various courts of our
nation.
However, the Dunbar attor-
neys are of the opinion that the
habeas corpus proceedings will
delay the trial for only a few
days, or two or three weeks. It
is to be hoped that this is true,
as it is time that this case be de-
cided and the public know for
sure whether Walters did kid
nap the child or not. There is
no reason for the Mississippi
lawyers to think that their client
will meet with violence at the
hands of the Opelousas people,
nor that he will be given an un-
fair trial in this court. If these
lawyers are so sure that Walters
is innocent, why should they OBJ
lect to having the case tried? III
ne is innocent he can be proven
SO in this court, as well as in any
other, and he will get his free
dom as well here in Opelousas as
ne would in any competent court.
The citizens of Opelousas, as
well as the entire population of
St. Landry parish, are. law-abid-
ing citizens; they are not bent
upon having Walters hanged, |
but on the contrary the vast
majority of ST. Landry citizens
are for a fair and impartial trial, /
no matter if the itinerant tinker
will be given his liberty. The
people here have all they desire T
-Bobbie has been brought back
to the loving arms of his par
ents, and were it not for a point
OF justice, it would be immaterial
to the citizens Of Opelousas if
Walters would never be tried.
they are not prejudiced against
the man but they want to have the
law enforced. If Walters kid
naped the child, as is alleged,
ne would be found guilty any
Where in the land; if he did not
kidnap Bobbie Dunbar, let
attorneys Dale and Rawls prove
ms innocence and Walters will
not suffer.