The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-03-27

dict of the district, at Blackfoot
which resulted in the conviction OF
Byrd Trego, of the Blackfoot Repub-
lican, on the charge of having had
criminal relations with a young girl
who had been adopted into his home.
The editor of the Star never did be-
lieve him guilty, regardless of the
fact of the jury's finding, and we pre-
dict no jury will ever again convict
him now that the case has been sent
back for re-trial.
The Blackfoot Republican is GER
'tainly stirring things up with big
stick, so far as the conduct of affairs
in that county is concerned. If half
what the paper charges is true, there
is field for great reform in Bingham
county.
Twin Falls News
Rather more interesting than the
pages of the average "best seller" and
infinitely better written is the story
of the arrest and conviction, together
with the facts leading up to the al
legged conspiracy from the victims
side of the story, in the case of Byrd
Trego, the Blackfot editor.
If Trego's story is true-and the
matter bears the hallmark of clean
observation-disclosures case is unique in
the annals of criminal history. If
Trego's point can be substantiatcd
the man has been made victim OF
one of the foulest conspiracies ever
Matched in the darkness of midnight
to railroad an innocent man into state
prison. Presumably the facts will
eventually be brought to light and in
the meantime it is probably safe to
assume that when this is done justice
will follow-certainly not before.
The Buhl Herald
w. L. Squires, editor
"Justice sometimes loses battle,
but never war;" was saying Of
old which is brought to mind by the
recent decision of the supreme court
in granting new trial to Byrd Trego,
the Blackfoot editor convicted of a
statutory offense and sentenced to a
term of from five to 20 years in the
state penitentiary. Justice Stewart
and Sullivan held that under the law
of the state, conviction for such an
alleged offense may be had upon the
uncorroborated testimony of the
prosecutrix, but when her testimony
is contradictory or her reputation for
truth and veracity is impeached. her
evidence must be corroborated. Num-
erous places of contradictory evidence
were pointed out by the two justices.
Chief Justice Ailshie dissented.
Editor Trego is one of the best
known newspaper men in Idaho. His
paper has always taken fearless
stand for temperance and progressive
and clean government while Trego
has himself been leader in such
work. Naturally man of this caHbre
will make enemies. He cannot help
it. The time came when these enc
mics saw a time to strike. They
struck and struck hard. The testi
mony of the editor and his wife avail
him nothing, while the contradictory
and uncorroborated evidence of a II
year old girl, was deemed sufficient
to send him to the penitentiary for
20 years. And these people for
whom he had been battling for all
these years, believed the evidence
trumped up by his enemies, elevated
their santified noses to the heavens
and passed by on the other side"
1t was ever thus. John the Baptist
was executed and his head served on
a platter to please the whim of a
vile woman. when his only crime was
the preaching of better era to come.
Jesus Christ was betrayed, crucified
and denied by his people when his
only offense was the preaching of
doctrine that would soften the harsh
teachings of the prophets before him.
But by their deeds shall we know
them; and down through the ages
their teaching has shown its effect
on the civilized world which today
is nearer to what He would have 1t
be than it has been since before the
time Of Christ.
So it will be with Editor Trego.
The spirit of temperance, good gov
eminent and morality breathed
through the editorial columns of his
paper will be reflected upon the lives
of the coming generation within the
scope of his teachings. But his home
life has been blasted and his life will
be living hell, all because he dared