The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-04-08

! cOunta autnOrllicS III IpElNil0'lN-
ing and bringing to justice the per-
sons who about month ago shot
La. d. Oliver to death on The streets
IF Leesburg mas resulted IL Cover
nor-S laton writing u letter to Sher-
if D. r. Moreland, Of that county,
in which tie governor inquiries if
there is any reason why he should
not offer reward for the arrest OF
the guilty ssparties.
Oliver, who had i spectacular
career in Georgia ASA high tlnan-
,.ier and banker, was killed late one
evening just as he emerged from
his bank in I.eesbnrg, and the IN
viduals who did the killing escaped
il an automobile. Several persons
we're arrested, butall were released,
and recently, according to many
private individuals who have writ
ten Governor SIatcn, nothing what-
ever has been done to punish the
men who killed Oliver.
Governor Slaton concludes his
letter to Sheriff NIorehnd as fol-
lows:
It appears to me that in a bru.
tai assassination like this no means
provided BY the law should lie neg
lecte1 for bringing the slayers to
justice, regardless Of the ,tntece-
dents Of the murdered man.
SHEalFA MoRELAND's Reply;
Hon. John NJ. Slaten, Cover
nor. Atlanta, Ca. have the
honor 80 acknowledge receipt Of
your communication of the LIST IL.
slant, il which you write me to
the following effect:
Hon. D. R. Moreland, Sheriff
Of Lee county, Leesburg, Ga.
4 am writing to inquire Of you
whether in your opinion there is
any reason why | should MOI offer
Ia reward for the apprehension,
with evidence to convict, of the as
sassins Of A. d. Oliver in your
county about a month ago. | have
had requests Nm private indivi-
duals asking that | offer a reward
and have referred them to the
county officers, but have received
no official information in regard to
the crime. 1t appears to me that
in brutal assassination like this
no means provided by the Law
should he neglected for bringing
the sIayers to justice regardless Of
the antecedents Of the murdered
man. Thanking you in advance
for a prompt reply, | AIN yours
very truly, John NJ. Slaton,
Governor. F."
II read an extract from the
above letter in the daily newspap-
ers of the state before | had the
pleasure Of receiving your letter.
Il anr at loss to understand
why you should call on me for adj
vice relative to offering rewards,
unless it be an effort to account for
the delay Of your Office and the
neglect of the governor to dis
charge an official duty.
Il am not at all averseto Shout
dering the burdens of the Office l
hold, but d. not care to assumethe
burdenszof other officials. | regret
that you saw fit to air the CORE
spondence in the papers before | re-
ceived single communication fri m
you relative to this matter.
To be frank with you, / am not
aware of any reason why you should
not offer a reward for the ap2re :
hensin with evidence to convict Of
assassins Of A, D. Oliver. The
people Of Lee county and l dare
say Of the entire state are still Won
derillg why you have not already
donesso
Citizens of this county circulated
a petition requesting that you offer
reward for the assassins Of said
person, which was readily signed
1 by practically every one approach
ed. Quite a large number signed
it and among these signing were
several county officials.