The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-06-30
THE OPEN LETTER.
Hon j. NJ. BENTON,
Winchester, KY.
June %, 1915.

w
Dear Sir
| have just seen copy of your
"Message" delivered TO the voters oI
Clark county on May 24th, 1915, and
am greatly astonished to find contain
ed therein and made a part thereof
press views, taken from the Courier
Journal and the Baptist World, the
basis of which are predicated upon
false statements made by some obser-
yer of the Wallace trial, who evidently
misunderstood the proceedings of the
court, or else was unquestionably an
enemy of the Wallace family, and who
mas undertaken, by publishing his
observations to do US the greatest
amount of injury possible.
AT the time this article by the obser-
yer was published in the Courier
Journal it contained SO many false
statements which you yourself were
aware of, that we thought, in justice
to us, that you yourself would correct
those false statements, instead of, as
you have done, taking advantage of
them TO promote your political aspira-
tiUns.
You know that none OF our wit
nesses, attorneys, or the defendants
themselves intimidated anyone while
in Winchester or during the trial of
the case; and that the only disturbance
that was created during that trial, to
our knowledge or to yours, was a
disturbance in which two star wit
nesses for the Commonwealth, one of
whom was a thrice convicted felon,
the other under indictment in the
Estill Circuit Court for murder by as
sassination, were engaged with an
outsider who had no connection what
ever with the Wallace trial.
1t is surprising TO me that a Judge
of Circuit Court, who has been Judge
for nearly fourteen years, and who
now aspires to fill that exalted office
for six years more, would descend 10
so low level as to undertake to build
his political fortunes and achieve his
desired ends and ambitions by an at
tempt 10 discredit, degrade and dis
honor those whom you know conduct
moment they arrived in Winchester
until they departed, by circulating il
the homes of the voters of the foui
counties composing your district the
most Infamous falsehood that has ever
to my knowledge, been directed
against family of law abiding citi
zens.
This circulation of your speech tends
to stamp US, and those engaged with
US in the defense of our brother, al
desperadoes, as lawless people anC
undesirable citizens, when, as matte
OF fact, The very opposite is true w,
have stood for the enforcement of th'
law everywhere; and it is this stand
ing for the enforcement of the Law
which has brought down upon ou
heads the envy, malice, hatred an,
falsehood of a notorious coterie O
people who have undertaken, in Estil
county, to acquit the red-handed muI
derers and assassins, to protect thieves
: and to convict thoss who, under tn
: stress of circumstances, have been com
. PEELED to defend their lives at the poin
of shot gun, knowing rull we'll tina
had they not done so they would hav
been murdered by assassination, an
the criminals guilty of il freed by tn
same coterie OF men who are now pei
scouting the defendants in the WallaC
case.
II has been rumored that you hay
linked your political fortunes wit
this group Of nen, some of whom wei
TO use their influence among I'll
Estiil county democrats, now Twin
: in Clark county, for you in your ras
; for Circuit Judge; that others OF thei