The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-17
RIDDLE REPLIES ID CHARGES OF MARTIN Explains the Suits Brought Against Him in Past THE DUTIES OF OFFICE keiterates His Charges Regarding the Character of Support That
 Martin Is Getting in
 His Race
THE DUTIES OF OFFICE

Riddle. candidate for attorney general replied here today to the attack made upon him in this city last Monday hN W. L. Martin, one of his opponents. Mr Riddle says;
 'I am called on to answer the at tack made on me by Mr w. l.. Mar tin, one of my opponents in the race for the attorney generalship of Ala bama in speech at Luverne, March To- He undertakes to justify his as sault with this statement:
 'I find that Mir Riddle has made me the object of his public addresses and while making no direct charges against me which are based on any particular fact, he endeavors by insin- uation ano inuendo to cast slurs upon my name and upon my reputation' This statement of his is absolutely and unqualifiedly false. I have not in my public addresses or otherwise. .li- reetly or indirectly, said or done any thing that would reflect on his per sonal character. I have said and now reiterate. that, the railroads througa the corporation lawyers and the Ala hama Power company through their lawyers are trying to defeat me win MT. Martin. 1 have in my possession a piece of the literature which he is sending cut. wherein he is indorse1 by Hon. George W. Jones, chief poIit- ical manirulator of Alabama politics in the interest of the Louisville and Nash vile railroad. as well as Hon, John = t,yster, Hon. Gregory l.. Smith and m. nv the corporation lawyers of Alabama. I also charged MT. Martin with being re- tained by the Alabama Interstate Power company and the Postal Tele- graph Cable company. He denied be- ing retained by these two companies while he was assistant attorney gen eral, but in the American Lawyers Quarterly for October, 1913. page 332. MT. Martin advertses himself as attor- hey for these two corporations
 Tn 1895 l was indicted in the cir cut court of Coosa county for assault With intent to murder (committed on D. A. Gaston), and also for carrying the pistol with which I did the shooting. 1t is fact that I did the shooting. and had the pistol. I had a judgment against Mr. Gaston and he had threat ened 10 kill me if I garnisheed the party who owed him. immediately got
 
 the Sarnishment. and when he under took to carry out his threat 1 shot him. l pleaded guilty in both cases Tor assault and battery in the one and carrying concealed weapon in the other-and paid a fine of $5 in the assault case and $50 In the pistol case because I was unable to get the case tried and my principal witness was a very old man, and I was afraid he would die For at least 15 years since the incident Mir. Gaston and myself have been friends and he and all his boys, so far as l know, are supporting me. and have his affidavit to the ef- feet that he is supporting me, and will vote for me in the primary.
 'I was indicted in the circuit court of Coosa county in 1s97 for appearing 2 in a case without being employed On the trial of the case I produced the telegram showing I was employed, with a check which I received for the fee prior to the time I appeared and the evidence of substantial witness who knew the facts The jury very promptly found that I was not guilty.
 Case NOlle Pressed
 "The next case in which I was in dicted was in the circuit court in Cla;- county in 1S9S This was for the al- leged defacing of building. In that case I had a mortagage for collection and took the property under the mort gage. as the mortgage authorized to be done. When the case came up for trial and the solicitor found out about the mortgage he mol pressed the case and refused to prosecute it, and stated to the court he had no case, even though I insisted on being tried.
 "In 1902 I had friend in the mer- cantile supply business in Goodwater who became financially embarrassed, and induced me to take an interest in his business by putting $500O in it ana helping him out of the tight. I was engaged in the practice of law at the time and had nothing to do with the active management of the business. During the year the firm advanced to farmers on credit some $30,000 or $40,000 worth of goods. There was all most complete crop failure in that section of the state that year on ac- count of it not raining for six or eight IT: n:onths. My partner. who was in charge of tho business, was taken down with consumption and died. The farmers who owed the firm were unable to pay on account of crop failure, besides the firm lost about $2500 in a fire with out any insurance. I took charge of the business and disposed of the com pany's assets. as well as my personal effects except a home and library, and paid it on all the company's debts. There remained about $12,000 or $14,000 still due the creditors of the firm aft CT I had exhausted all the assets of