The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-06-17
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN:

L
The following question appeared
in an article by the Civic League
in the Times of last week, WHY
they were nolled?" then referring t.
the two cases of the State, VS.. Bor.
gen and Weigan for the alleged sale
of LIQUOR last February. The matter
would not receive notice by the
writer were it not SO misrepresenting
the true facts. The statement in
the article that after detectives
Mead and Donn had secured evidence
against several individuals in Wash
burn, for the alleged illegal sale of
whiskey, a committee from the w.
C.. T. u. went with detectives to
the Office of the district attorney to
swear out warrants is wholly
manufactured by the author of the
article and not the facts.
Neither of the detectives named
ever entered the Office of the district
attorney at any time, The facts are
that neither the Sheriff, Chief of
Police, Municipal Judge nor the
district attorney knew that the w.
C. T. u. had sent for the detectives
until the morning of the issuing of
the warrants and not a member OF
that society ever came to my office
to consult with me until after the
arrest of the parties named with
others.
So far as the district attorney is
concerned, the first knowledge he
had of the roceedings was the morn
ing of the arrest when he met on the
street two or three of the members
of the civic league near Mr.. Clausen's
office, when they were on the way
to Judge Calder's Office and then in
formed the writer of the presence of
of the detectives ia our community.
The ladies then asked me if /
would not come up to the court
house and told them that / was
very busy but would attend to the
matter at once, and / am satisfied
that the good ladies of that society
will bear me out in this statement.
Every well informed person knows
that any one can make complaint
on information and belief and yet
not know anything about the true
facts, but facts or very strong cir
cumstances are necessary to the con-
viction of any offence. Opinions
don't prove anything. Suppose that
the advice of Capt. Wizard had been
followed to the letter could any local
person who did not see the sale
made swear to it? Could any person
who was present at that hearing
swear to the facts as did Messrs
Mead and Dom? If there was one
he failed to present himself, and
there was not before the arrest of
the above named parties, nor since
the binding over of the accused been
a single individual come to see the
district attorney or even offered to
assist in the bringing of the violators
to account.
The men who procured the liquor
swore to the complaints, as they only
knew the facts that could procure a
conviction. The district attorney
directed the detectives to leave the
liquor procured with the Judge of
the Municipal Court, but was after
ward informed that even the whiskey
was taken away by them They
maybe found the town dry. | had
to leave the court room to attend to
the case sworn away from Judge
Calder and was not there when they
left or the liquor would have been
left where it belonged.
1t would be much better and pleas
anter for ell concerned in such matters
and especially those who believe in
keeping the town as the people voted
to work for the public good and bear
our share in Kidding the town of even
the intimation that any man is vio-
lating the law. If any man has any
evidence of the violation it would be
much better to 60 to the officials and
assist them in procuring the evidence
than disappearing the matter in
the press. Suppositions don't go in a
law suit, facts are the things wanted.
For the benefit of all / will say that
the Dist. Atty was then, and is now
ready to prosecute any one, friend