The Butte daily bulletin. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1918-1921, 1919-05-12

Comes now County Attorney JOS
eph r. Jackson, in a statement Civ
en- to the press" on Saturday night.
and decorates himself with SO many
medals that he we'll might be the
envy of the now defunct Wilhelm Of
Prussia in his palmiest days. And,
county attorney bids fair to join the
defunct class, and for the same rea
son-no results.
Mr.. Jackson, besides being profua
in commentator OF the county al
torney, states his position in the
Morrissey case absolutely and
squarely' He leaves no one in
doubt. He is not with the Bulletin
and the thousands of citizens who
want to put an end to prote6ted'
crime, nor is he with Morrissey or
his friends" most of whom can be
found in two places--the sixth flool
of the Hennessy building and tie
Miners editorial sanctum.
Mr.. Jackson. after reading the
Bulletin carefully" Saturday, states
in language which appears to be
tinged with regret, that there is no
cause for criminal libel action.
A careful reading of the county at
torney's statement establishes his
present status as one of benevolent
neutrality toward Morrissey
With the facts and justice on the
one side and the pressure OF corrupt
power on the other this is a difficult
position the county attorney has TAX
en-. 1t is one that cannot be success
fully maintained in the Morrissey
case. Two other choices remain-Mr.
jackson may throw in his lot with
corrupt power, but the county attor-
ney must, if he lives up to his OATH
of office, take up the cudgels on the
side of Justice.
It is the boast Of the Bulletin that
it prints the news, and it is with un.
alloyed pleasure that we give the
Jackson's assertion that he has con-
Quoted the office of county attorney
in "a fair, scrupulously honest and
impersonal spirit We have thou
sands of readers who can not be
reached by the "press" which sup
ports the city hall shambles, and we
hope the county attorney appreciates
the favor we confer in emphasizing d
portion of his statement, which is
certainly NEWS.
1t is also news to the Bulletin thai
Mr. jackson was so tired of listen
ing to second, third and fourth hant
information. Into our simple ant
non-legal mind had crept the impres
CIT OFT RI
that the county attorney was weariee
by first hand, eyewitness testimony
We are glad to be informed other
wise and will reserve judgment Oh
this point until we observe how th
county attorney assimilates furthe
first hand information in the mex
round of Mr.. Morrissey's battle TO
the spoils.
The Bulletin has received abun
dance of first hand information i,
connection with the Morrissey case
and we have no doubt that the peo
pie who gave it were and are yet un
| der the same impression as we. tha
the county attorney was not anxiou
to make use of it-and for the fur
| ther reason they, no doubt. feared
power behind Be that as it may
the future will tell, and we are will
ing to be convinced-not that tn
| chief of detectives did not unmerci
| fully beat his unfortunate wife prio
to her death, for that has alread
been established, but that the coun
ty attorney intends to make an hon
est and sincere effort to prosecut
law violation. regardless of the "pow
er behind" in the Morrissey case.
The Bulletin will not, nor do W