Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-08-31

SnOcS anu SfhpS ana SeallnR WhA, anu
cabbages and kings Alice In Won
derland.
Relterating its twice-made decision
to take no official action of the case
of City Attorney Briggs and Jesse
Winburn, who locked wits last night
in an effort to establish the lack of
veracity of each, the city council has
wiped its hands clean of the query,
who lied?" relegating it to the musty
files OF individual memory, a mat
ter without official recognition or
record. The decision came as the re-
suit of short talk fest among
the city dads following three hour
hearing OF the two men, their agents
and witnesses conducted after the
manner of judicial court before the
city council last night
Short and Ugly Phrase Passed
Jesse Winburn charged that
Briggs unjustly called him a liar at
4 council meeting July l2, meet
ing, he asserts, which he attended
at the request of the city council
relevant to the installation of sew
age facilities at Longs Cabin. or
what is now known as Sap and Salt
in the Woods. Although not making
q formal charge of malfeasance in
office against Attorney Briggs the
case presented by Mr. Winburn, who
was represented by Gus Newbeurg
and +. p. Farrell of Medford, was
to the effect that Briggs, as city at
torney, had used persuasion to
have the sewage work at Longs
Cabin given to Provost Brothers
hardware store instead of Simpsons
hardware store Attorney Briggs
denied the charge, stating at the
council meeting of July H. that Mr..
Winburn had lied. With the hear
ing and cross examination of wit
nesses yesterday evening, both Of
the contending parties sought to
clear themselves
Mr.. Winburn at previous meet
ing having requested formal apol-
Ogy from the council for Attorney
Briggs statement, request that was
denied with the assertion that the
matter was a personal one
Councils Part Was Listening
The city dads were good listeners
last night. Listening to the two
men was the only action they had de-
cided on following the insistent de-
mands of Mr.. Winburn at a council
meeting last week that he be heard.
At the end of the three hour hear
ing, and in which Attorney Briggs
asked that the council adopt an oral
resolution clearing him of any charge
OF malfeasance in office. The request
was refused on the grounds that no
such charge had been made on the
part of the attorneys for the plain
tiff. Jesse Winburn, and therefore
nothing to absolve Mr.. Briggs from.
The trial was conducted in the
council chamber of the city hall,
iammed to the windows and doors
with a mixed audience, at times in a
state of curious expectancy. FIRE.
quently Ashland, as represented by
the audience, laughed. The trial
was full of good Jokes II amused
chuckles meant anything. After it
was all over the city dads sobered,
sat straight in their chairs and then
-unbending from a cold reserve,
glowed with smiles of friendliness
for the world In general Ashland,
especially, decided, verbally, defin-
itely, to say nothing" and render
a decision of justice on the same
basis.
The hands Off attitude of the
council after the trial" was pur-
suant to decision made before the
hearing started to not render a de-
cision. The city dads listened only,
listened without question or inter-
ruption. Cross examination of wit
nesses, reading of letters. rebuttal
arguments and impassioned pleas