The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-05-05
HARRY Shelby STOKES.


Harry q. Stokes, tl.a taxpayers friend,
il ,lead. His mortal sensins Eieep beside
those Of fathei, mother and sister In the
family nsusolum st Memphis. surround
ed by hllows Of 6owers the loving trib-
ute Of friends and The people who trusted
him. His life va, snuffed out just when
be was near the goal Of his ambition and
the browning achievement Of bis pFoies-
sional career, and there is profound grief
throughout the State for this matches
hero. who was moi afraid to fight the
peoples battles against corruption, the
fostering sore which Is spreading It's can
eerous growth in every direction in Tea
nessae
IL is healthy sign to note how geneE-
ally the press and people openly condemn
his taking off None condone this act ex-
cept those who had just cause 10 fear
him, or their friends, who shake their
heads and say III is well; be was alto
gethel TOO familiar with Other peoples
business
This is to be expected Public servants,
whose misdeeds and rascaiity have long
been hidden beneath the web OF immunity.
called honor among thieves. . and politi-
cal chicanery are glad indeed to have the
fearless, relentless knight laid low, who
trimmed the wicks, filled the lamp and
dared TO turn Oh the searchlight Of truth
and facts that penetrated this veal that
vas hiding the corruption that has been
eating out the heart Of this State We
can well understand how these public Of
ficials and their friends can afford to re-
Ioice ut any crime or tragedy that delays
their facing the people, 10 give an account
Of how the taxpayers money has been
spent. You will hear his enemies veil
their rejoicing by saying that Harry
Stokes meddied with other peoples bust
meas Yes, 50 does the detective who
rufls do~B tbs saun:eriastRrs, ihe polloe-
man who arrests the thief, the revenue
man who destroys the Illicit stills in the
mountains; 40 does every arm OF the law
but shall Law cease because Of this fact?
Again you hear them say, Stokes was
too bold and aggressive in this manner
Had he not been, there would have been
40 investigation, His fortune and ucra-
tive practice made this great hgh, unnec-
essary from monetary standpoint, but
the dire need Of n fearless leader appealed
to him, and he accepted ii, and fell a
champion to the cause Of the common
people
The Hamilton County Herald stressed
tho fact that men pay dearly for their
efforts IN behalf OF the public welfare,
(which is All uudlSputed truth and Won
dcred, II It is worth while to leopardlEe
happiness and HE Tor community that
does not, perhaps after all, appreciate
his Efforts Undoubtedly Yes. A cause
that il based upon right and justice to
the greater amount OF our people, cannot
lalI to be worth while. \ principle is
greater than any man, and a just cause
once started will not dle with the leader, |
and he who has Justly served the greater
number Of humanity, even though he
s,crlhce happiness and lle itself, has not
lived IN vain
Chas &. Trabue, the slayer, pleads
self defense Ou the face OF newspaper |
evidence, the sell defense theory seems rs
A. the murder. Mir Irabue
goes into Harry stokes private office |
armed, carrying, be says, n paper on
which is wntten An apology for Mr. |
stokes to sign, The paper Is found some
days later IN tile oi letters. Who putt |
there SO carefully? Harry Stokes OF has
rrabuc2 surely Irabue did not have
time TO ~ behind Stokes desk and calm
y file paper surely stokes did not,
when, rs MIR lrabue says, he WAS max
lng ntlnieroas assault upon him, for IN |
lrss than three minutes after lrabue en-
tered the office he was calmly telling pep
pie that he had killed Harry stokes
Again, il he had shot All unarmed man IN