The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-09-25
Calls Statements of Frank
Symmonds Grossly I'm
true" in Statement.
ASKS FOR COMPLAINTS
Asks Symmonds to File Conn
plants in Cases Where He
Knows of Violations.

ney Morris Barnett today made
statement in which he points out the
contemptibie charges made against his
Office" as being grossly untrue. SYM
monds in his speech at the noor-day
luncheon of the Optimists laid the
blame for the laxity of law enforce
ment and of the "wave of lawlessness
now rampant throughout the county
NJ the feet of the present district at
torney. His paper was set and
lengthy one and covered many phases
Of the situation in Kenosha which
have aroused considerable interest In
viey of the results of double trag-
e6v which occurred week ago.
at certainly is deplorable that the
GOOD names of the late Mr.. Parker and
his daughter, friends Of this 'ot1ce,
must be constantly brought before the
public in connection with law viola
tions in general" declared District
Attorney Barnett. ''It is equally de-
plorable that the office of the district
attorney should be linked with this
tragedy as though it had any connec-
ton with the tragedy. The duty of
the district attorney lie in immediate
w arraigning the driver and occupants
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is little use in attempting to try these
men over .he banquet table as l3ng as
there are regularly constituted courts
of law.
"Mr. Symmonds made those charges
and that entire address knowing full
well that | would be unable to make
any answer to them at the time, and
he deliberately took advantage of the
situation to make grossly unfounded
statements concerning the conduct of
this Office" declared District Attorney
Barnett. "Many of his charges were
so unjust that marvel that any hon
est-minded citizen would take them
seriously. / can show that all of the
charges which he lays against me are
false and deserve to be treated with
contempt rather than with serious con-
alteration.
Office Shows More Convictions.
]. ''Mr. Symmonds declares that the
present conditions of lawlessress in
the county is due to Indifference .and
no apparent effort on the part of Of
iicials to correct those conditions. Mr..
Symmonds himself was a former dis
trict attorney and it can be reason
ably assumed that he knows something
Of the conduct of the office, He un-
observation-disclosures he says nothing
of it in his talk--that there have been
more convictions under the admins
tration of the present district attor-
ney than there ever have been in the
history of Kenosha county. Certain
ly those facts do not bespeak of any
indifference in county officials. Be-
fore prohibition went into effect there
were approximately 100 Glass A Ii
censes for the operation of soft-drink
parlors. Today there are almost three
hundred Of these. Mr.. Symm onds
points out that in many of these there
is constant law violation, He fails
to say, though, that there are also
constant convictions. He canncS point
out one instance where this Office fail
ed to prosecute case which was
brought before the district attorney
! doubt if he can say as much for
his own administration. How many
soft drink parlors and road houses ex-
listed under his administration? Did
they not flourish just as muck then
Can he say that there were nc law vi
olations then? To point at the pres
ent number and lay the blame upon
rhe district attorney for that number
is unjust.
Tells of Cases Now Pending.
"Mr. Symmonds declares that the
district attorney has failed to place
criminal charges against the four in
dividuals who sold liquor TO the Occur
pants Of the car that killed Truman
Parker and his daughter. The war
81
made out under the city ordinance
Nothing in connection with their ar
rest was brought to this Office. Mr.
Sylamonds understands that any &C.
sicn which the municipal! cour5 Nigh!
take in this case has no bearing or in
Gpence on the states prosecution. The
city chose to prosecute these men
There action is no bar to further &C.
tion. When the city gets through
with them the state will take action
against them. These men will be tick
led to be arraigned under tn city or.
dinance. Under this they can only be
fined and go to prison only in case
that they cannot pay the fine. They
do not get both as they can under the
state statute. Mr.. Symmonds insist;
that the district attorney has done alb
solutely nothing in this case. If h,
read Fridays Evenings News he no
ti1ed that / promised to invoke tn,
paddock law in each case should The
city bring on convictions of these men
"Under the administration of Mr.
Symmonds a grand jury investigation
was held which cost the city thousands
of dollars. The county had to i'm
port for its counsel Mortimer Wakes
Of Racine to prosecute for the county
in these Investigations. The credi
for the grand jury Investigations anc
prosecutions goes to Mortimer Walk
er. Mr.. Symmonds had PRACTICAL!
nothing to do with the prosecution il
these cases.
Il should like to point out for th
benefit of Mr.. Symmonds in particula
and the community in general of on
instance under Mr.. Symmonds' admins
tration. During the administration O.
the former district attorney Nh
Rauen, then sheriff, requested that
warrant be issued for one JOSEPH
Metzer, in whose home the sheriff
found still in operation. The sher
if requested that warrant be is
sued for Meters arrest on the
charge of possession of mash, posses
sion of moonhine and manufacture o
moonshine. This the then district at
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