Milford chronicle., 1922-10-20
Fair Play and
Justice For All
communicated

I NCOumuQlCdI6uJ
One of the most striking travestas
upon modern justice, came to light,
when the tree cutting" charge
against two innocent youths of Har-
ringtOn, was aired before the States
Attorney, at Dover, on Monday, Oc-
tOber 10th.
1t appears that some time in the
night of September 18th, a person or
persons, were possessed with a desire
to exercise their muscles, by applying
an ak to approximately thirty-five
small trees, little larger than the in
dex finger of grown man.
Harrington is blessed with Sher-
lock Holmes, whose wise experience
was gained by trips from the post
Office to the school house. The above
referred to culprits seem to have be-
come lost just as soon as they had
committed the malicious deed and it
became known to this Sherlock Hol-
mes, but it was a small mental strain
for this luminary to solve the mystery
without interviewing a single re-
sponsible party-and the finger of ac-
cusatiOn was pointed against two
young men of the town.
Why should they become the object
of suspicion? Was it because they had
the manhood to protest against the
tyranous rulings of a public school
official, who last year aroused the
enmity of the entire student body, by
catering to the whims and fancies of
few of the students Of the "deadlier
Species?"
To do the dirty work a man
from WilmingtO was sent
for. The first move made was, to go
at midnight, stealthily to the domicile
of one of the victims, from whence he
was without ceremony taken before
ustice-of-the-Peace This was. done
after midnight, because the victim
came down town every evening and
could not be found at his home during
the day time. The next step was to
go to Washington, D. c., and cause
the arrest of the other victim-who
was peacefully studying his college
lessons and bring him to Wilmington,
where he was held for six hours in
confinement.
But as the date for presenting the
charges to the States Attorney ap-
much anxiety developed in the camp
of the great detective. No actual evil
dence had been unearthed and it was
apparent that no body Of men with in
telligence could bring in a true bill
of indictment on the bases of the
charges made and the evidence to
support them. Something had to be
done and the Sherlock Holmes of
Harrington, himself, took charge. En-
listing a State Detective-whO blythe
way, is an officer paid by the people
to protect the public-they singled
out a poor youth, cornered him in a
room and under threat of all kinds of
penalties ranging from imprisonment
to physical punishment, they forced
that boy to sign a statement, the rash
creation of our Sherlock Holmes and
his assistants. They absolutely made
the boy sign statement, which has
since been repudiated and shown to
be a pernicious and indelible lie.
When morning came, after rest had
brought clearheadness, the scene OF
the previous day came clearly before
the youth, and his manhood asserted
itself-and with it came the resolve
to see that actual justice De done-so
far as in him lay remedy.
Accordingly, when he was summon
ed to appear before the States Attor-
ney on Monday, October 18th, of this
week, he stated the methods used to
gain the statement and emphatically
repudiated the substance of the same.
So the case Matched by our local Sher-
lock Holmes fell Of it's own weight
and was not even presented to the
Grand Jury.
Never, in free America, was it ever
dreamed that such extremes would be
resorted to, to fool or blind Justice.
Such practices might be expected in
Russia-but certainly not in town of
good Old Delaware.
When the facts are told, Harrington
will be disappointed in some Of her
citizens.
Oct. II, 1922. Fair Play and Justice.