The Durant news., 1946-11-21
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
by Eazel Brunnon

Inc eullOF OF tlllS paper IS OlIeI-
ing a substantial cash reward to any
reputable citizens who will come
forward in person and publicly
accuse the night marshals of Dur
ant of robbing them with ample
proof of such accusations.
Rumors Of such charges against
the Durant night marshals have
been spread throughout Holmes CO.
unity, apparently deliberately and
maliciously spread throughout this
county, in the past few weeks prior
to the opening of Circuit Court.
According to the rumors the Dur
ant night marshals had been robbing
arrested persons Of money, watch
es, pistols and other valuables."
1t will be remembered that a man
from an adjoining county was on
trial in the past Circuit Court for
assault and battery with intent to
kill in a case where he had shot and
seriously wounded these two Durant
night marshals i. one marshal was
shot through the hand as he attcmp-
ted TO take gun from the law
violater and the other was shot
through the leg and very seriously
injured.
The Durant officers mad arrested
the man earlier in hte evening for
carrying a concealed weapon and
had taken his gun in line with their
duty ais law enforcement officers.
He had obtained another gun from
somewhere and returned to Durant
when he shot the officers. The Off
icers did not fire a gun at him at
any time. They were shot after he
started firing at them in their efforts
to get the gun away from him.
1t was Immediately before the
trial that these rumors gained such
wide circulation on the western side
of the county. Apparently the rum
ors originated and were spread by
a person or persons with an interest
in the case slated to come up in
Circuit Court and in an effort to
discredit the Durant law-enforce-
ment officers -. to try to arouse
men and possibly to influence any
jury that might be empannelled to
sit on the case.
Just how successful this whisper
ing" campaign of malicious slander
was, we could not say, but the Hol-
mes County Jury which sat on the
case freed the defendant after few
minutes deliberation.
The jury freed man who had
served in the penitentiorY before
for assault and battery. who had also
been convicted on liquer charges.
carrying q conceded weapon and
other crimes. The bad record of the
defendant wus proved by the Dis
trict and County Attorneys in the
cuse.
The state produced an eye-wit-
ness to the shooting which clearly
showed the guilt of the defendant
in the eyes of those hearing the
testimony in the courtroom. The eye
witness had no personal interest in
the case, no "axe to grind" He was
a young business man of good char
acter, an ex-soldier, whose word
should certainly have been taken
by any jury or group of men.
But the jury sitting on the case
apparently didn't believe him or
the Durant officers.
What ore we coming to in Holmes
county when persons with proven
criminal records con get by scot
free with shooting law enforcement
officers who ARE trying to do their
duty?
We think it is time for the persons
responsible for the slander of the
Durant Night Marshals 10 come for
ward like men and make. their
charges publicly and prove them.
If they do not and cannot substan-
tiate the claims they have made then
they should be made to pay for
slandering the good names of the
Durant Night Marshals and the City
of Durant which hires them.
Letters To Editor