Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1857-12-03
JUDGE FERGUSON.
His Pre- Rmption and his Maligners.

W. ietl SullSueu tnht Wncn the nuollC
have read, even the few atlidavi,s, which
we have room TO publish. out Of twenty
three already made, showing that Judge
Ferguson complied with the law, as an
honorable man, in his pre-emption, they
will see, as the facts are, how mnch
wrong, and how base and pnlpable an in
jury, can be done n man, by three evil
minded, ignorant, and wantonly unscrupu-
lous men, for the purpose of gratifying a
petty revenge, that rankles in the breast of
that class Of small minds. Let the facts
speak for themselves. Fifty, yes, one
hundred men, come up voluntarily, and
offer to make afidavits, to sustain the in
tegrity of an honest and injured man.
Read the afidayits in to.day's paper,
and the subjoined facts, in connection with
the history of his caluinniators, then Judge.
Neither Of the four persons who made af-
fdaviis against Judge Ferguson's pre-
emption, claim or pretend to claim, in any
way, that Judge Ferguson was not the
sole owner of the land, he pre.empted, as
a claim, and that, too, by every prin.
ciple of right. They, nor their friends,
nor no one in the wide world, claim said
tract as against said Ferguson. Whv
then, are these men, so much interested 2
We will show.
Eli T. Watson, the chief in swearing,
OF this beautiful trio, (for there is but
three,-Marshall W.. Stoddard, having
explained himself, a, will be seen in
,o-day's paper had a pretended claim
against Judge Ferguson, in amour, less
than n hundred dollars. He, Watson.
alleges that the Judges boy, while play.
ing on the prairie, following a team of
Judge Ferguson's, and his hired man.
sometime over a year ago, the boy set
fire to the prairie, mid two days and a
half subsequent, 3 the setting of such FIRE
Eli Z. Watson, had, as he alleges, some
hay burned, by a prairie fire. If i, was
the fire Sc, by the Judges boy, tina, burn
ed Watson's hay ,ihad not Watson a rem :
edy in lawa But the truth is,-we know
three good and substantial witnesses, who
say they will swear, that the fire set by
the Judges boy, was not the fire tina,
burned Watson's hay. Further, Watson
had the patriotism, and honesty, say moth.
ing about the impudenee, to approach
Judge Ferguson, on the day of election
in which Ferguson was a candidate fol
Delegate to Congress, saying TO the Judge
that he had not voted yet, aud asking the
Judge to arrange the settlement of burn
ing hay, in dispute; and further remark
ing, it would have something to do viii
his, Watson's, course, in the election
Judge Ferguson, Gas every body VIII,
knows him. knew, under the circumstan
ces, he would do,) kindly remarked
Mr.. Wstson, that he might pursue such
course as he thought best, about voting
but he, (Judge Ferguson should no, pa
the unjust demand. Watson did vote fc
Ferguson's opponent, and did swear, w
believe, that he did moi SEE Judge Eel
guson reside on his claim.
And as a guilty conscience needs no AZ
cusing, notice his swearing before a ma
istrate, while his knees are knocking t
gether, from fear, and for shame,-knov
ing as he did, his v~eracity would be que
toned, OF this point, by honest men,
appeals to b. b. Chapman, for whom
voted, for Congress, and three great mt
away off in Michigan, to sustain him f,
truth, and that, too, before any body hG
questioned his word.
Another of this illustrious band
three, engaged in the conspiracy, to IN
gn the fair fame of Judge Ferguson,
one A. w. Trumbull, who had a little mi
understanding with Judge Ferguson, nea
ly two years ago. Trumbull came to Ii
county, about three years ago; and vel
soon thereafter, on n Sunday mornin
proceeded up the Platte Valley, and too
for himself a claim, that the sou of wi
ow woman, from Illinois, had purchaS,
three days before, giving in payment
gold watch. Mr.. Trumbull being a mi
of large physical proportions, and seell
that the poor widow woman's son was ply
cally small, and weak from cOnsumptiC
with one foot in the grave, and the 9th