Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-01
LOCAL NEWS.
THE BRA DLEY CASE INrHE CRIMr.
NAL COUET.

before the Court and show cause wov bs sbonIa
| not De punished for contempt, and presented
the following apology for Mr. Bradley:
Jcsepn n. bradlay having been informed Tn a,
Phreys. holding the said court on the aifb of
May, directing process 10 issue against tte sail
brs1ley, as for contemptof court stated there
IN, he, the said Bradley authorizes and reouests
the Hon. ID. w. Voorhees,, as his counsel 10 STATE
to the said Court ss follows: y
AN engagement As coapsel, made several
weefs ago in an important cap~e pending in the
Montgomery County Circuit Court Maryland.
in which circuit said Bradley r sides, 70 be he,
gun on Tuesday, the slst inst, prevents his ap-
Without interposing any question as 10 the
jurisdiction Of the court in the premises hnt
Ior the present purpose waving the same, and
not admitting but denying the statement which
has been made to this court by its marshal as TO
the cause OF the disturbance complaIned OF ana
It's character and result OF the recOnter he ten
ders The court full aud ample apology for any
share he may have had in interfering with the
duties. ~ ''S
He desires further =, state for tbts bonor.n,o
court he has entre T. spect, and be utterly 5ss-
claims and denies the remotest purpose or in
tention to commit any contempt ofits dignity.
authority, jurisdiction, or functions. He feels
il is due 90 hinSelf as well as 10 the court 70
press his deep regret u, IN a moment of uncon-
,foilaole resentment OF wrongs as he conceiyes
long borne, his conduct led 10 the inte rru pton
OF the business before the court. In regard to
the personal collision between himself and Geo
+. Fisher, the District Attorney, out OF which
enesS p,oeeeaings nave arisen, he legs leave 20
say that their meet'ng was wholly accidental
and that all the circumstances Of the assaults
snow mar 1t was not premeditsted. He alleges
toai the matters OF grievance between himself
and the said Fisher are Of a purely personal
character, and Of long standing He has for
nearly three years felt that said Fisher
h hrs been the cause Of great wrong and injury to
redress. Upon meeting the said Fisher tbese re
neeoops rushed upon his mind with great power,
ard under their influence he made the assault
with slight switch cane with which he con-
stantly walked; and with no thought OF heinz
within sight or hearing Of the court.room, which
was more Ss nhicS than h hundred yard: distant
consideratton Of this Honorable Court
MAY %, losu Jos. II. BRADLEY.
The court took a recess, and at noon Judge
humphreys returned and read the following:
The power and jurisdiction OF eyery eourt In
punish for an actual, positive contempt Is ne
cessarily TO great extent arbitrary, and be-
interesting question to determine what amopnfs
to contempt OF court within the contempiation
OF the rules OF law, 9TH Cranch, 32)
this court, and each of the instices S tSereos re
within the District Of Columbia, possess All the
powers OF conserving the peace that belong 20
the States, or TO the Court of the Kings Bench
in England Neither will 1t be Questioned thar
II is the duty OF this court and OF each of the
Justices thereof to exercise the powers attach
peace may be conserved. When it was an
nounced that an officer of the government i'm
mediately attached to this court had been as
saulted and stricken in the streets, In a public
place, within sight OF the City Hail, the place
where the court regularly holds its sessions and
curing the hour when the criminal and circuit
dockets were both being called and tried.
4 the esss@e esss 81 h.ghly e u proper to in9S,Ee
Iertits and the matters as the facts should
when disclosed, demand. And the high char,
acfer OF the assailant and the person assaiIed
"nl1When the question is properly reviewed.
afford another reason for the propriety of this
court ordering the assailant before IT. In Al
dltion to this, the position of the narties- NJ
Bradley and Judge Fisher-both prominent,
known TO the entire community, and each hav,
Ing warm friends, collision of any Kind he
tween them was and would be likely n create
immediate commotion, and in the frenzy of mas
sion Lead to widespread disturbance. 1t would
certainly be the duty of all civil officers to he
prompt 10 suppress any such rising. On the
occasion of this disturbance the MARSHAL and
Polcemen were promptly upon the SPOT and
thelr authority wss respected.
1t is proper for me to say that this entire pro-
eeeding has been conducted by me upon my
own ideas Of duty. The officer OF the govern.
ment who wes assaulted has never approached
me on the subject, nor did my brethren of the
oencn, nor have they suggested any OF the de-
talls IN the matter. The criminal docket was
placed under my charge, and felt il a duty 10
inquire into disturbance that occurred two
eSSs aaSs aIeer nad come upon the bench, and that
regular hours Of the session of the court and
when the court was in the midst of the trial of a
conceived it a duly 70 investigate the mat
ter, and trust that it has boen dome with be-
coming deliberation, and it must be viewed as a
relief to the government that the members of
the bar have so cheerfully responded n the ef-
i1rts OF the courtin maintaining the integrity of
whiieft is true that LAWYERS. IKE other men
are the subjects of angry PASTORS, vet will he
pardoned for say ing that there Is no class of any
community upon which devolves the duty more
rrfnFaa raN1 N1~aly thnr.
high moral standsrd of suppre. sing the angry
passions OF our nature. Their stndies lead 10
that end. Their business is to throw their whole
muscular and physical power into the ment Al
and moral parts, and to make reason Instead Of
vital force the standard of action.
No question has been raised as to the jurisdic-
ton Of TINS court on the facts IN this csse, whe-
ther the facts bring this case within the natter
OF contempt. So far ss the intention of Mr.
Bradley to be guilty OF contempt OF the author
lty of the law Is involved, he assures the conrt
by direct apology and protest that no snch
thought entered his mind, and he comes "a as
sure the government that he VIII submit 10 its
constituted authorities.
1t Is always delicate question in any corrt to
assume jurisdiction OF a doubtful question, IN
volviDg the liberty of person or the imposition
of tine, where the jurisdiction te reach the
END In another way Is clear and unQuestioned,
particularly as in the matter of contempt there
is no appeal that reaches the question; nor
would the imposition Of penalty for con-
Excessive. Hence have proceeded without
haste inviting the legal criticisms Of the bar
upon the whole matter. Mr.. Bradley has
made no suggestion by way OF avoiding
asubmission TO the court, and this, in nv iudg-
ment, lie TO be considered In his favor. III An
pPeal to higher authority would completely
ano FULLY arrest my action without an interme-
date arrest Of privilege, or IL the imposition or
pecuniarv penalty Tor the alleged cause OF
contempt was clearly revisable, and could
clearly be RENTED by the President, then
cannot say that my action would not be differ
ent. For In either Instance, II erred, the er-
ror could be corrected. But In the case on a
penalty imposed for, contempt. the party fs
without speedy remedy. Thefall and complete
liability OF the party or parties for o vioiation
OF the law, according as the facts may demon
strate, viii still exist, and NAV be reached In A
different proceeding well known and familiar
to MS al.
: II win be found, however, on reflection. 20 he
for the peace OF the government that this in
vestigation has been had. The appreheusiops
Of good citizens win be relieved when ther are
assured that infractioDs of peace will Be yiei-
lantly and diligently inquired into by the co,St.
Of the country, and that those oourSs viii ne an
their power to preserve the ascendsncy OF non
Joseph H. Bradley Il now before the court.
and the course that ] conceive 20 be impersfiye
70 take ie 20 require Of him that he a an enter
INTO bond, with sppfoved securities, to keep the /
peace towards George r. Fisher for the time
sutnorifed by law, and that said bond shail be
IN tne sum OF nve thousand dollars, conditioned