Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-04-18
G0rr9sponotmtr


uu1ctHA 4 amy anu JUN y ~Not-'
There are times and,occasions WHEN
patience and silence cease to be vir-
tues: that time with me has arrived
Inaye pracIiced law for nenr quar-
ter of century. through all the
courts in Indiana, from those presided
in by Judge Mclean down to the hum
blest Justice Of the Peace in tht re-
fmotest township. ! profess 70 know
something Of the rules and practice Of
courts. aud the rights of counsel and
lilegant parties. And | am fully pre-
pared to say that the conduct of john
S. Reid, for'the time clothed with the
power Of Common Pleas Judge. sur
passes in oppression. and wanton out
rage OF the rights and feelings Of
counsel and parties, any and every
thing which has fallen under my OBJ
servation.
desire to call public attention 70 a
single recent exhibition Of this, mans
official oppression. In his own Court
where be is supreme. the mouth OF
men may be stopped. But, thank God,
we have a free Press. and l would be
recreant to all my obligations as q
citizen OF our common country, and
as n member of an honorable profess
ion, i'll should now hold my peace
While | live l shall make war upon
oppression, wrong and official AFRO
gauce wherever found.
On Friday. the 18th of April. 1856,
the case ofWilkenson and wife against
the other heirs oil Riley Woodworth.
for partition. came on to be heard. and
tried in Reds Court without jury
Messrs. Farquhar and Morrow were
counselior the plaintiffs. and was
the attorney for Mrs. Elyira Wood.
formerly Brookbank. daughter oil
Mr.. Woodwork. one of the defend
ants. The only question in the case
was as to the prophets and legality Of
certain Announcements charged to have
been made by Mr.. Woodwork in his
litigation TO Thomas w Brookbank,.
the late husband of my client. Mrs.
Wood. These pretended advance,
ments were in The shape of notes
against MIR. Brookbank, dated perhaps
in 1910 or l84I, one Of which was as
} signed to the Brookville Insurance
Company shortly after its date. and
was receipted in full on the back of
the note.
The plaintiffs offered as witnesses
four OF the defendants, to prove these
advances. To this 1 objected. but
/ Reid promptly ovcrruled the objection,
and allowed the witnesses to be exam
med. then rendered bill Of excep-
lions reserying the point. which was
: signed with no good will The plain
$ titi's then proposed to prove by these
witnesses, DECLARATIONS and statements
made by old Mr.. Wood long af-
ter the date of the notes, to which |
J objected. but the objection was also
r cautiously overruled, and the state
e mtn.s allowed, to which / excepted,
and rendered bill of exceptions en-
bracing tie point. which Reid would
neither allow, hear read nor sign. |
then desired that Reid should reduce
the testimony to wiring, which he re-
4 fused and contemptuously and AFRO.
: gantly remarked that he would take
!. down just so much of itas he thought
proper. then asked the privilege &c
" take down the evidence MYSELF, and
e this he refused and urged the examin
a alton of the witnesses SO rapidly thai
liz was impossible. Aud the right and
property of nv client were at the mer
e cy Of. and trampled under foot by the
e modern Jeffrey, and this wilhoutreme
nj DIV, hope or redress. And thus seeing
that before this man my clients and
myself had no right whatever. indig
! nantly shook the dust from my fee
and left the Court Room. In disgust
at this wanton and unprovoked out
D rage. Afterwards learned from The
n counsel on the other side. that Reic
! allowed as advancements against Mrs
Wood the principal and interest 0
both these notes against Mr.. Brook
II bank. and thus my client was jude
{. ialy swindled out of several hnpdre(
4 dollars. without hope or remedy. Blu
no matter, she was "a poor woman
friendless--powerless.
II such judicial conduct is alloweS
!. and tolerated in the country, no man'i
rights are secure and would rattle
I" be Russian or Turkish subject thar
o an American citizen.
e Every gentleman in the Court room
IT was shocked at the outrage upon th'
parties and counsel's rights, and al
though | have not eonversed with o
have any authority for doing so.
iearlessly appeal 10 those present
Farquhar and Morrow. John NJ. Joha
ston, clerk. L. Winscott deputy
Henry Berry Jr.. CIV. Morrow. I
!" A. Shoup and others.
3 This cowardly and oppressive con
le duct ought to be exposed and thi
1t man held up to the deteslation of eve
Y ry honestman. and 1.-THE District shout
:, be cursed with his reelection, h
ought to be impeached. l freely ed
: init. that l cannot End language 10 OK
le press my utter adherence of his OH
e cial arrogance.
r. Those who know me will bear IN
d witness. that il is not difficult to sc
4 along with me at the bar or elsewhere
! l ask nothing but Justice, and wher
= the interest of my clients are concern
70 ed can take nothing less.
W In al! my practice | never Ind
l. misunderstanding or difficult with th'
Bench. until this INSCRIPTIONS, weak
, vain and I believe dishonest Scotch
$ man was elevated to the Judgeship
Dr. the elevation was so great that he be
came dizzy. He has so many cinnin.
|. rays about him 10 make honest peopl
!, abhor and loatlYe him. that he has ad
y mirably succeeded in outraging tn
:" rights and ceilings of every membe
OF the bar in the District. with the cx
ception Of a few of his toadies, VIII
honp IN faffnn unon the snOils An,