Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1904 — A GROSS OUTRAGE. [ARTICLE]

A GROSS OUTRAGE.

Man Arrested and Thrown In Jail On a False Affidavit By C. M. Blue. The depths of iniquity to which the despicable gang who have been fighting The Democrat man for years will resort to, was demonstrated Saturday, when a “tourist printer” who had been working on The Democrat, was arrested on a false affidavit and thrown in jail and kept there until Monday morning, when it having been found that the man was no longer employed on this paper —he stating in court that he had been discharged and was going to work for Marshall —the affidavit was discovered to be bad and the case was dismissed. Asked by the court if he wanted the man held until a new affidavit could be prepared, the deputy prosecutor answered in the negotive, and he was turned loose and left town. It is the consensus of opinion that the man has good grounds for an action for false imprisonment, should he desire to return and push it. The affidavi t if question is understood to have been written and prepared by “Honest Abe,” and was sworn to by Charles M. Blue, trustee of Marion township, the accomodaing prosecuting attorney or his deputy simply signing his name as prosecutor to the instrument. It charges that Charles M. Blue, was on the 13th day of February, 1904, the duly appointed, qualified and acting superintendent of the Jasper county poor farm, and that on said day one Frederick Boyd, made disparaging remarks regarding said management, stating that the said superintendent was keeping two families out of the supplies bought for same, etc. Boyd, the man arrested, came to Rensselaer some time ago and was temporarily employed on The Democrat. He was a good printer and a quiet, unassuring young man when sober. Like all “tourist prints,” however, he would “booze” occasionally, and for -this cause was discharged. He was boarding at the Makeever hotel and it appears had been drinking some last Friday night. Several people were ih the hotel office and talk had got around to the county jx>or farm management. Different ones had expressed themselves and finally Boyd is alleged to have made the remark attributed to him in the affidavit. A few of the crowd present were imbibing, or expected to imbibe, from the public trough, and, it would seem, it was thought possible a rap might be given The Democrat, so Charlie Blue was hunted up and he goes to “Honest Abe” and, we have reasons to believe, Abe prepared the affidavit asserting that Charles M. Bine was the superintendent of the poor farm, and Blue signed it and the young man was arrested and thrown in jail, charged with slander. The affidavit was false and the arrest of the man on such an affidavit was an outrage on justice. It would seem that Abe, Blue, et al, must be in dire straits indeed to take up the alleged maudlin remarks of an irresponsible person, and it will be noticed that even the “official organ” was ashamed of the matter and did not mention it at fill in its colums.