People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1893 — Again the Slander Case. [ARTICLE]

Again the Slander Case.

Win. B. Burford stole a march on the printing offices of Wabash Uy having the commissioners nreet in secret session and award him a contract to furnish stationery for Wabash county. The result is that the Republican party organ is up in arms and is furnishing to the people information of value to Democrats. Burford is a pleasant gentleman, but when he sends a man out to get a job of printing at a good round price he means to succeed if it does cost money to do it. He has jq>ent thousands of dollars in Indiana getting contracts for printing and stationery that rightfully belonged to the newspapers of the several counties. It cost him piles of money to keep on the good side of the county officers but he has grown rich out of it. Somebody pays the bills, and it is suspected that it comes out of the taxpayers.— Ex.

Charley Cox. of Coffeyville, Kans., has been shaking hands with old acquaintances in Rensselaer this week. Some twelve or fifteen years ago he was a resident of this county, being the son of “Jink” Cox, who lived live miles southeast of town. In 1879 Charley was editor of the Remington Reporter, now’ the Press. Mr. Cox is in the employ of the Pacific Express Co. at Coffeyville, and during the Dalton raid last October took an active part and a bullet from his rifle laid one of the desper adoes low. While here, he exhibited photographs of the Daltons, taken after their death, and other scenes of the raid. The express company presented him a fine gold watch for his bravery on that occasion. The case bears the following inscription: “Presented to C. 8. Cox by the Pacific Express Co., Dalton Raid. Coffeyville, Kan., Oct. '), 1892.” His wife accompanied him on his trip east.

Mel Makeever was not “in it” in the 100 yard foot race at Goshen last Saturday, for a purse of $2,200 and the championship of America. Morris, of California, won the first and final heats. There were four starters in the first heat—C. C. Morris, of California; C. A- Kinsey. of Utah; Alexander Gott. Montana, and James Collins, Wisconsin. Morris was first and Collins second. In the second heat H- W. Kiblinger, Chicago; M- M. Makeever, Colorado; S. J. Ferral, Connecticut. Ferral. Kiblinger and Makeever finished in the order named. In the third and final heat Morris was first. Collins a very close second. Ferral third. Kiblinger fourth. The time, 9 3-5 seconds, is one-fifth of a second below the world’s record. The third heat was a very exciting one, the four being bunched with Collins behind. A magnificent f purt which he made at the end, however, almost won him the v;icp. With the exception of Harry Wiltshire, trainer, Frank Robinson and Ben McColly were the only persons from Rensselaer who witnessed the race.

Editor Pilot:—We noticed in the Pilot of the 7th inst. an article concerning the recent slander suit, which we regard as vicious and uncalled for. The defendant and his friends, as law abiding citizens, accepted the verdict of the jury as final and went to their homes and about their business, and the attack made upon them in the article is wholly unprovoked and unmerited. The author starts out under pretense of correcting the leanings and reflections of your editorial and then proceeds to snarl ax public sentiment and slap the bystanders in the face, then turns his wrath upon the defendant and his friends and seems.to have no regard for the characters or feelings of anyone except the plaintiff and her f riend. Mr. Keen. He shows a wonderful leaning toward them, indicating more than ordinary interest in them. Perhaps the defense was more vigorous than he anticipated aqd the result not what he expected, hence his revenge upon defendant and his friends. As to the verdict of the jury, we think it is pretty generally regarded as a very small thing and the wonder is. by what microscopical view of the law and evidence the jury was enabled to find it. We do not cedsure the court or the jury; the court was, perhaps, strictly impartial and the jury, perhaps did the very best they could; they simply did what other juries have done and what other juries will probably do; they enacted what might be termed * a legal farce,” thus showing that our jury system in the ad-

ministration of j ustice is a failure and that it is the jury code or system that is to blame, and not the jury. Under the present prevailing conditions, going into court to get justice is about as uncertain as buying lottery tickets to get rich. We have for a long time been a friend of both families involved in the suit, but love truth and justice better than friends or relatives. Citizen.