The Mount Holly news., 1916-06-27
The sIeeper Case.

Ihe sleeper case.
: With the exception of the case {
Francis Tracey Tobin-which by th
. way, has been given summer vacatio
} nothing has attracted more attention
than the indictment against Charles F
! Sleeper, editor of the Palmyra NesOS, 70
;. criminal libel on county clerk Harry L
, Knight and search clerk John w. Har
ris. This case, which was to have beer
taken up last Wednesday, was post
poned because prosecutor j. H. Kel
ssy saw too much politics in it, anC
with a presidential and gubernatoria
campaign in view it did not seem wis
to stir things up too much. The evi
dence, SO far as the public knows, is al
strong as IL was when grand jury, witt
due respect for their oaths, decided thai
an indictment was proper. Prosecutor
Kelsey has not said that the evidenct
will not convict, but has said he does
not propose that his Office shall be used
for political purposes, and that he feels
the indictment is simply a political
move.
Editor Sleeper, in the last issue of his
paper, has an article on the subject,
which he heads Justice defeated. He
returns thanks for the many expressions
of sympathy and congratulations as TO
the outcome, but just where they
amount to much is hard to see. Sleeper
is still in the same position he was be-
fore Kelsey concluded not to have his
Office used for politics. Sleeper is still
under Indictment for criminal libel. He
is entitled to a trial or to have the in
dictment quashed. The constitution
gives every man the right to speedy
trial and he seems anxious for trial in
which he will be able to prove his asser-
tions and add some more. But prosecu-
tor Kelsey has stopped this for the
present. Perhaps Sleeper has been anx-
ious but his counsel seems to have been
acting rather peculiarly for a man with
complete knowledge of the law. First
there was motion for change of ven
ue, but when the motion came to be
considered it was found that it was nee
cessary to make it in open court and
that there must be an affidavit attached
to the application, but the learned attor-
ney who has charge of the defence SEEM
ed to have entirely forgotten this little
necessity and the case went over for that
term. Then came the time when the
suit was to be heard and the political
revenge" with 200 witnesses and expense
to the county, looked very large and the
prosecutor let the case go by.
Mr.. Sleeper says: 1--WE have been in
formed that the actions of Knight and
Harris persisting in having these in
dictments found for motives of revenge
as stated by the prosecutor in open
court, is very reprehensible and lays
them open to either Indictment or civil
suit" If the prosecutor did make such
a statement the editor OF the Palmyra
NesOs would be perfectly justified in try
ing to secure an indictment, but he
ought to go slow there, as it might be
shown that he was actuated by ''re-
venge" or political" motives. The !
editor also says: 1--WE have claimed, all
along, that Knight and Harris were
merely trying to stop our criticisms,
rather than seek the ends of justice, and |
now the prosecutor OF the county con-
firms this in open court" If this ar
alignment Of Kelsey is true and if he
has made the statements in open court |
that Sleeper claims, then it would seem
10 indicate the real interest that would |
be manifested if the cases we're brought |
10 trial.
Yet in this entire affair we have not |
seen or heard single statement that
there is any lack of evidence to sustain
The charges found in the indictments. |
Revenge" and politics" are the only |
motives assigned for letting this case
drop for the present, at least, or until
after the next election. We agree with |
Sleeper in one instance, and that is that
ne is entitled to trial or to have the in
lictments quashed. If revenge" and
politics are the basis for having him
held up before the public as he has been
and still is, then he should have the
light to have this matter settled by a |
ury. If he has the great mass of evil
lence and the number or witnesses that
,he prosecutor has said has been repre-
'ented to him, then Sleeper should be
given the privilege Of presenting every
hing to the public. He has claimed
hat all of his acts have been for the
public good, and to what better use
could the county's money be put, even
t the trial did take two weeks, than to
'how that he had been on the right trail
md wanted to smoke the rascals out?'
One thing is certain and that is that all
stories that Knight and Harris have not
oeen anxious to go to trial are false.
They have been ready for some time and
Ire still willing to have this matter set
Ieems strange that matters are in the
position they now are. 1t is not fair to
Sleeper, we are perfectly willing to ad-
nit, as he says he wants to have some
hing more than negative victory. He
loes not possess even that. He still goes
around to be pointed out as man under
Indictment for criminal libel, making
that he can prove all of the
he has made, with more of
he same character.
Beyer-Lippincott.