Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land piratePitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
History
Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land pirate
Pitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
Copeland, James, 1823-1857; Criminals -- Gulf States -- Biography
This communication from the City Clerk of Mobile is valuable in more
points than one. In another place he states that there is in his
office on file an affidavit from Shoemake relative to the prosecution.
The nature and subject of this affidavit was not inserted in the
Clerk’s communication. Why this affidavit of Shoemake’s as one of
the prosecutors, and none to be found from any of the other three
prosecutors, is a profound mystery. Again, affidavits before Grand
Juries, in connection with prosecution for libel, surpasses ordinary
comprehension. The missing of so many papers, and the derangement of
all others, might be charged to the neglect or carelessness of the
custodian, the then Clerk, but how can the legerdemain disappearance of
Shoemake’s name from the trial docket be accounted for? No reasons—no
cause for the same can be found! The present Clerk is bewildered,
and can give no explanation on the matter. Such being the case, is it
not reasonable to presume that the leaders of the prosecution then
controlled the files and records of the office to suit convenience?
Prosecution foul in the commencement needs props, subterfuges and
mystery in every stage of progress.
But the most impenetrable darkness of all is, Shoemake’s name being
found on the trial docket as one of the prosecuting parties. The
order in which they stand on the docket is cases number 61, 62, 63
and 64, corresponding with which the prosecutors are G. Y. Overall,
C. F. Moulton, G. A. Cleaveland and S. S. Shoemake; and in agreement
with the same, four appearance bonds are found. The question now for
solution is, did Shoemake really get a bill from the Grand Jury of
Mobile at the November term, 1858, along with the other three? The
files and records show that he did. Now let it be borne in mind that
this man was the agent to bear the requisition from the Governor of
Alabama to the Governor of Mississippi for the arrest of J. R. S.
Pitts. Let it also be borne in mind that J. R. S. Pitts is positively
certain that he never gave any bond to cover the case of Shoemake—only
three, Overall, Moulton and Cleaveland’s; and that before receiving
the Clerk’s communication, he never knew that Shoemake was one of the
docketed prosecutors; but he did learn during the time of his trial,
that Shoemake tried to get a bill in the February term, 1859, and
signally failed. Choose either end of the dilemma and the difficulty
is not at all obviated. If he did get a bill, the rascality is equally
manifest. To go to Mobile, Ala., to prosecute while he was a resident
of Mississippi, and J. R. S. Pitts also a resident of this State, is
utterly incomprehensible in any other light than a flagrant outrage on
every principle of law and justice. If he did not get a bill, the files
and records show forgery of the darkest hues. So, then, from whatever
stand-point the whole affair is viewed, atrocity and corruption of the
most aggravated character stare the impartial inquirer in the face from
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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