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Show The Ricks Trial In the Third district court yesterday, yester-day, the trial of Thomas E. Ricks on thecharge of murder, was indefinitely postponed on motion of the district attorney. Mr. Carey stated that he desired to secure tho attendance of an important witness who was not within the jurisdiction of the court, and whose attendance could not therefore be compelled. Tho witness had expressed ex-pressed a willingness to be present and testify at the trial, but was sick and unable to come. Tho postponement postpone-ment of the trial yesterday, virtually puts it off several weeks, and in the meantime the accused must breathe the fetid air of a filthy jail, eat prison food and lie on prison straw. The grand jurors for tho March term aro subpoened for next Monday, and they will doubtless be in session for some timo; and during that time the district dis-trict attorney, being engaged with them, cannot attend to the prosecu tion of criminal actions in the court. The Herald upholds no criminal, and instead of placing a straw in the way of punishing a person guilty of breaking a law would do everything iu its power to bring tho guilty to justice; but it is justice, not persecution persecu-tion that should be observed by courts and its officers. Punishment, ante-conviction, ante-conviction, is as unjust as it is un-unconstitutional. un-unconstitutional. Colonel Ricks has been in prison nearly five months, awaiting trial on the gravest charge known to the law. He entered en-tered his plea many weeks since and through his counsel has asked for and urged his speedy trial; but his re quests have not been granted. The prosecuting attorney has not been ready to proceed with the case. Whatever may be Mr. Carey's object in thus persistently opposing the trial does not appear, unless it be that he has a bad case, and wishes to punish Col. Ricks on general principles. We cannot believe that Mr. Carey would willingly persecute anyone without cause, and though his action in this case smacks strongly of persecution, yet we will take a more charitable view of it, and hope that he does not postpone the trial because be likes to see a fellow-man suffer and has it in his power to inflict punishment. But it is high time Colonel Ricks was tried and acquitted or convicted of the terrible crime which hangs over bis name. If he is guilty the commonwealth demand his conviction convic-tion and that his adequate punishment punish-ment follow; if he is innocent he is entitled to his release. Society, as well as the accused, has an interest eilher in his conviction or acquittal, and like the prisoner the public has the right and it is its duty to demand that justice be meted out to one and all of its members. The Btate has brought a charge against a citizen, has deprived him af that which in all countries is prized above everything else liberty; and, now, it the state has erred, has overshot over-shot the mark, and cannot sustain its accusation, it Bhould take the earliest opportunity to right tho wrong it has done. Colonel Ricks, with every other person now in jail and accused of crime, is entitled to and it is the duty of the state to give him a speedy trial. |