Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-11-02
INDICTMENTS AND POLITICS.

Governor Vests attacks on R. A.
Booth offer a parallel to the cam
paign of United States Senator w. E.
Borah in Idaho. Senator Borah was
indicted through the influence of po-
litical enemies of conspiracy to de-
fraud the government of timber
lands. He demanded a trial. The
prosecution submitted its case. Bo-
rah's attorneys called no witnesses
and made no argument. Within five
minutes, upon the first ballot, he was
acquitted.
The men who were responsible for
that indictment were afterwards sum-
marily removed from office by the
president of the United States for
misconduct which amounted to fraud.
in obtaining the indictment against
Borah.
r. A. Booth was indicted for con-
spiracy to defraud the United States
government He plead repeatedly for
trial. For four years the indictment
was held over his head because the
men who were responsible for the in
dictment would not permit it to come
to trial. Seventeen times his attor-
neys tried in vain to have the case
taken up. He did not submit a sim
gle dilatory plea. He faced the issue
squarely. He did not put a single
witness on the stand. The accusers
made their own case; presented il
uncontradicted to the jury, and the
jury said mot guilty" on the first
ballot.
This is the history of the Booth
case out of which Governor West
seeks TO make political capital. He
would have the people of Oregon be-
lieve that all men who are indicted
no matter how indictments may be
obtained. are guilty.
Mr.. Booth in his address at Port
land struck hard blow at his accus
ers, and especially the governor
when he pointed out some things il
connection with Vests record anC
these timber cases.
Mr.. West. he says, assisted Francis
J. Heney and Detective Burns II
packing the jury box. and he Offered
evidence to prove his assertion.
After West had completed his worl
as detective. assisting Burns, Burns
on August II. 1905. sent Telegram
to Washington. Mr.. Booth read |
copy OF this telegram as follows:
Jury commission cleaned out thu
old box from which trial jurors arr
selected. and put 600 new names
every one of which was investigated
before they were placed in the box.
He also read a number OF Mr.
Vests reports upon these prospective
Jurors, taken from the files in Wash
ington. One OF them was a repor
upon d. f. Swank OF Marion county
and is a fair sample. He said:
Pretty good old man. a straigh
populist and socialist; has been
rank reformer in his time but nov
believes that through graft and mo
nopoly everything has gone to hell
and il is too late TO save the country
He is one who would be in for con
victing anybody, especially II he wer
a republican politician"
Mr.. West made reports to Burn
upon prospective jurors to be place
in the box and reports of Mr.. Burn
on the same men said:
These men would convict Christ.
These names were placed in tn
box and these are the kind of me
Mr.. West considered would make
good and impartial jury.
These things throw a light in col
nection with these timber cases whic
has never before reached the publ
and which reveals the shadow on tn
governors interest in the case an
his political methods.
Twelve men hand-picked by We
tried Booth and said that Booth Wa
not guilty.