The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-23
IMPEACHMENT OF JUDGE CHASE.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY Is.
/CoutiyKeS
NICHOLAS VANDYKE Evoru.
(ContinUed.J

Mr.. Harper. Pleafe to fate whether you
were ut the circuit court for Delaware in the
year 1907?
n. [ attended the circuit court held in N.
Cattle on the 9th and 2sth June 1900. / was
not preftnt when the court opened but I
think I entered the court houfe, while Mr..
Cha'e was delivering charge to the grand Jury.
Afterits delivery the grand jury retired they
were abfent fhort time and as well as can
recoilect before and when they returned, was
either out of the court houfe, or engaged in
ronverfation with fome per!onS out of the bar.
| think 10, rs have no recollection of the quef-
ton put to the grand jury, whether they had
found any bills, and that put to the diftrict at
torney. I entered the bar while there was A
pauie, and flence prevailed. recollef that
the tirit circumftance that attracted my attenti-
on was the obfervation of Fudge Chafe TO the
grand jury, that fince he had corae among them.
he had been credibly informed That there was a
fictitious printer within the fate in the habit of
libeing the government of the u ted States, &
having received this information he thought il
his duty TO call the attention of the grand jury
to the tubject. He appeared to me to be pro-
ceeding TO fate the name of the printer but he
did not name him. He faid that might he do
ing injuftce TO the man, or that it was impro.
per i'll him. / cannot fay which was the term
he ufed. think he then a0sed the diftrict at
torney If there were not two printers in the
late. He anfwered, that there were There
was then fome conversation between the Judge
and the diftri6t attorney. My impreliion was
that it conveyed requeR from Judge Chafe to
the diitriG attorney to enquire into the fubect
on which he had previouly fpoken to the Jury.
Mr. Attorney faid that he had not feen the pa
pers. The Judge alked him whether he could
not procure file of them. I do not recolleet
that the name of the printer was mentioned
then, or during the whole fittings ofthe court.
Some perfoD at the bar faid file could be pro.
cured. Judge Chafe aiked the attorney, ifhe
could make the enquiry by tomorrow at 10 o.
clock. About this time heard fome obferva-
vations made respecting the difcharge of the
grand jury on that day. Some of the gentle
men faid it was bufy feafon, that they were
farmers, and were deiirous of returning to their
homes. Judge Chafe replied, that might be We
ry true but that the buIinefs ofthe public was
alto important it muf be attended to and
therefore he could not difcharge them. do
not pretend to fay have purified the language
uied. have only attempted to give my i'm
preilion of the facts that occurred.
Mr.. Harper. Did you hear any flch phrafe
as this-that a fictitious temper had manifefted
itfelfin the flate of Delaware, in New Cattle
county, and more Especially in the town of
Wilmington.
n. l dol think heard fuch exrefIions
Mr.. Harper. What was the manner Of
Judge Chafe in addreiling the di(triGi attorney (!
n. His ufual manner; which is always warm
and earneft.
Mr.. Harper. Did he FAY any thing that was
authoritative o&tnperious to the difria attor-
n. IT did not ftrike me 70.
Mr.. Hafper. But made requeft in the ufu-
al way?
n. Yes, Sir. On the fecond day a flori
time after / entered the court, fome perion
fpoke TO the diftri6t attorney who foon after,
as fuppofed, went TO the grand jury in
fhort time after he returned, and then the
grand jury, with file OF papers. The Judge
enquired Of the jury whether hey had any thing
to lay before the court. They faid thew had
not. The fame queaioo was put gthe diftri6'