Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-01-16
HERALD
RETRACTS
But COurier-Journal Has moi
Made Amende Honor
able.

The statement of Commonwealth
Attorney Denny P. Smith, of Cadiz,
explaining the circumstances under
which Judge c. H. Bush, of Hop
kinsville, promised the mob at MUIR
ray Wednesday that he would order
Lube Martin a negro returned to
Murray from Paducah the next day,
places the Judge in a much more
favorable light before the public, and
bellies the alleged interview with the
Judge published in Louisville news
paper.
Prosecutor Smith vigorously de-
tends the court officials and asserts
that both he and Judge Bush would
have sacrificed their own lives before
they would have permitted the mob
to have lynched the negro prisoner.
He says that he and Judge Bush had
arranged TO give the prisoner ample
protection and that they had been
promised armed support by an ade-
quate humber of good citizens of Cal
loway Comfy. He said that Judge
Bush "altho for four hours in immi-
nent peril, did not yield to the mob
which demanded the negro or the
life of the Judge" and that
the Judge did, with the Prose-
cutor's consent. agree TO order the
prisoner returned the next day to
and complete the hearing of
the motion TO continue the case upon
a guarantee, not from the mob, but
from a committee of the best citizens
Of Murray, that sufficient number of
good citizens of Galloway county
would be summoned and armed to
protect the prisoner.
The Herald, having read the Ialleg-
ed interview attributed TO Judge Bush
md, believing at that time that it was
genuine, promptly criticized the Judge
n an editorial, deploring that the
bench in Kentucky should be so dis
credited. Now that the interview has
been repudiated by Judge Bush, The
Herald unhesitatingly retracts its
characterization of the Judge, publish
ID in its editorial of Friday morning,
md expresses its regret that thru this
misunderstanding it should have been
ed to challenge the courage of a man
If Judge Bush's high character.
Judge Bush has been a practicing
Ittorney at Hopkinsville for years and
has made a wide reputation as a sue
.essful practitioner. He was appointed
IS Judge of his district when Judge
J. 7. Hanbery died last year and, Of /,
ering for the place to fill out the five
ears remaining of Judge Hanbery's
erm, he received the Democratic
nomination without opposition, and
vas elected by the largest majority
yer known in the district. Since taxi
ng his seat on the bench, his decisions
ave been fully up to the high stand
rd which were expected of him in
lew OF his long experience, his
ecognized legal ability and his strict
Louisville Herald.
Denny p. Smith, on Friday night
ent the telegram below to both the
ne Herald and the Courier Journal,
farming them that they had been
uilty OF criminal libel. The Courier
ournal has not yet retracted.
Smiths telegram:
81 presume you are fully advised as 1
} the facts of Judge c. II. Bush's 1
,tion in the face of the Murray mob. /
our editorial Of today amounts to a
bel of Judge Bush. think you I
lould correct and retract the infamy I
)u have cast upon the name of this a
rave and honest Judge. And unless c
,u do retract and correct ii editorially
Nd as fully as you published il, il may
'come my duty 70 test the power Of