McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-04-07
TO TRY ACCUSED
OFFICIALS APRIL "a
END PRELiMiNARIEs AND THE
SENATE ADJoUREs
SINE DIE.
EDGINeToN CASE FIRST
Accused Officials Must File Their An.
swers to the Articles of I'M
parchment Exhibited by
April oath.

Jesse Edglngton and z. Newton Els.
ties stand impeached before the bar of
the senate of Tennessee.
The house of representatives, sit
ting at the grand inquest, resolved by
vote which crushed as it swept along,
that the Judge of Shelby oounty's
criminal court and the attorney-gen-
eral thereof, must answer in the high
court of Impeachment to the charges
which have been lodged against
them.
Just before the general assembly ad-
journed sine die, the senate fixed April
"a as the date upon which it will re-
convene as the high court of impeach-
ment to sit in judgment upon the Off
cial conduct of Jesse Edgington and
e. Newton Estes.
The Elgington case will be tried
first.
Both Edgington and Estes must file
their answers to the articles of i'm
parchment exhibited against them By
April "a, and then and there they must
appear before the bar of the high court
and submit themselves to its high juris-
diction. The court at that time will de-
termine for itself when the Estes case
will be taken up.
No sooner had this order been made
the action Of the senate than Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court M. M. Neil
was formally informed, by resolution,
that the court would sit at high noon
on April "a and that he was called
upon to preside over it's deliberations,
according to the constitution of the
state and the laws made and provided.
Senator Alternately of McNairy is
chairman of committee which mean
while will prepare rules for conducting
the court.
The proceedings in the senate were
undoubtedly the most august that
generation of Tennessee has ever
known. Men of high renown, of wealth
and fame, have often halted before the
bar of Tennessee courts, charged with
crimes and mfsdemeanors against the
law of the land.
Judge Edgington and Gen. Estes
stood before the bar Of the highest and
gravest court known to the law, charg-
ed, not with crimes against the law,
but with high crimes and misdemean-
ors against the people of Tennessee.
AS one sat there and saw the great
machinery of an impeachment proceed
ing slowly but gradually moving on,
only history could prompt the reflec-
tons which followed one after another.
Men and women, drawn hither by
the strangeness of the occasion, were
in the galleries. On the floor of the
senate the curious waited.
Eighty-six representatives sat in
their seats as the roll was called.
Eighty-six Representatives raised their
voices against Judge Edgington in
symphony of public condemnation. Not
one but believed that the charges
against him demanded an answer at
the bar of the senate.
Eighty-five of these representatives
Joined in the condemnation Of Mr.. Es-
ties. One representative, Mr.. Strauss
of Shelby, voted for him.
The managers of the impeachment
trial appointed by the house are:
Edgington-Clyde Shropshire Of Da-
wilson, R. A. Ashley of Dyer and E. e.
Cresswell Of SEWER
Estes---Louis Elkins of Gibson.
Hoyle Stewart Of Cannon and L. A.
Scott Of Hardin.