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Show H Not Always WE find in a publication before us a heading: "None but the guilty need fear publicity." BB That may be a fine theory, but Uncle VAVJ John Mnlmn says it is not always a truism. H He was in Montana very early in the history B of that region. He says a very large contingent VAVJ of Price's army had inundated the state and the VMS manners and customs of the people were not VVJ what might be called settled into a quiet family VMH system. It became necessary to apprehend a few H gentlemen and after an informal but fair trial, B not to suspend sentence but to suspend the men. H It was not quite a judicial code, but it had its VAYA good features there were no unseemly delays in HP executing justice. The trouble about it was that H the people began in a little while to bo like the Hj Herald-Republican of this city. If a man was ac- cutfed, the presumption was that he was guilty. This came very nearly causing the deaths of some innocent men. A hue and cry was one day raised against a man who had a few weeks before opened a little store in town and he was swiftly arrested and brought before "The Committee." Half a dozen men testified to his unworthiness and gave him a record which caused the crowd to grow impatient at the slowness of justice in that country. The Committee had appointed a lawyer who was a nervy chap to defend the prisoner. As each witness testified, the lawyer was seen to whisper to his client and then make a brief memorandum. When the prosecution closed, the counsel for the defense asked that all the witnesses wit-nesses who had testified be brought in. He placed the first one on the stand and asked him how long he had known the defendant. He answered instantly that he had personally known him only two weeks, but had been hearing about him for a long time. Then the lawyer said, "Two weeks ago today, you obtained a credit of ?87 from this prisoner and promised to pay in a week. Have you paid him?" The witness, greatly subdued, replied that he had not, that he had been disappointed dis-appointed in the receipt of expected money. "You are excused for the present," said the counsel for the prisoner, "but do not leave the room. I may have to ask you some more questions." He called the second witness and asked him the same question: "How long have you known the accused?" He replied, "About three or four weeks." The second question was: 'How does the winter weather in Montana affect you." The counsel for the prosecution at once moved that the question be stricken out as wholly irrelevant, and made a speech pointing out to the committee that counsel for the defendant was trifling with the committee, and evidently, for some inscrutable reason, trying to gain time. Counsel for the defense de-fense explained that it was but a preliminary question, but he would show its pertinancy later. The witness was ordered to answer the question. The witness explained that he had not thus far suffered from the cold. Then the lawyer for the accused said: "On the statement that you had just sold some fat steers and would receive the money the next morning, you, three weeks ago yesterday, obtained credit from this man for two suits of underclothing ?1G, one suit of clothes $65, one pair of boots for ?8, and that overcoat which you now have on for.?34, a total of ?123. Did you pay this man the next morning?" The witness answered "No." "Have you paid him since?" was the next question. He was obliged to answer "No." "You may stand aside fo.r the present, but do not leave the room," said the lawyer, and called the third witness . But he was not present, neither was the fourth, nor fifth, nor sixth witness. Then the lawyer stated the amount that each one owed his client and it suddenly sud-denly dawned upon the committee that these men had concieved a plan through which they might settle their accounts and at the same time pose as men who had a deep interest in the welfare of society and have the fun of seeing an execution. execu-tion. The prisoner was at once discharged, but ever since "Uncle John has clung to the belief that innocent in-nocent men are sometimes in more danger than rogues. |