Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-03
The Chicago Journals Case of Con-
tempt of Court.

The Press of the whole country.
especially the leading portion of it,
is deeply interested in the late pun
ishu ent of the editor and PROPRIETOR
of the Chicago EUening Journal for
contempt of court. The right of
editors to comment on the conduct
OF those charged with the execution
of the laws has been curtailed, and
censorship of the press has been set
up, that has stirred up howl of in
dignation throughout the land Our
readers will not care to read the very
length report of the case in full, but
brief abstract will suffice.
The article of the Journal of Oct.
l6, which caused the wrath of the
Supreme Court of Illinois, and
brought on its managers fine of $500
was wrung from that paper as the
indignant cutlery of people groan>
ing under a reign of robbery, murder
and crime, which soc med to stalk the
streets of Chicago with impunity,
and receive the protection and favor
of all the legal machinery of the
state. 1t was a call for just and
stern administration of existing laws.
coupled with taunt that money
seemed all-powerful to set aside all
convictions and secure new trials
This is the editorial:
AT the time writ of supersededs vas granted in
the case Of the murderer Chris Rafferty,. the public
was andy assured that the matter would be
ineh into by the Supreme Court and decided at
that possibly the hanging of this notorious butcher
would not no d. Ioyod nor "a single day, Time speeds
away however. and We hear of notn Ing definite being
done. haiiertys counsel seems TO be studying the
policy OF delay and evidently with success. The rif
raft who contributed fourteen hundred dollars TO de-
| monstrate that hanging is played out may
graduate themselves on the success of their little
game. Their msney separating spenddly. We have
no hestancy in prophesying clear through to end
| just what will be done with Rafferty,. He will be
| granted new trial. lie will be tried somewhere
within year or two. lie Will be sentenced to i'm
psonment for life. Eventually he will be pardoned
out. And this in spite OF all our public meetings
| resolutions, committees, virtuous ind gnation snd
what not. And Why Because the Of fourteen
hundred dollars is enough, nowadays to enable nan
10 purchase immunity from the conseQue Of any
crime
"If next winters session OF the Legislature dees not
| hsrmetcay seal up every chink and loop hole
| thrOu which muraerers now escape il viii de-
serve the bitter censure OF every honest In AZ
linois We must simplify our modes of procedure ia
murder trials. The criminal should be tried a once
and when found gui ty should BE- hanged at nd
| the quicker hanged the better. The courts now
completely ia the control of corrupt and mercenaiy
| ahgste d-th ltckAlS 81 tue legal probe who
feast and fstten on human blood spilled by thu hands
Of other men. All this must be iemeded There
| ho found remedy, and 1t must be tOund.'
The Supreme Court of Illinois sit
ting at Ottawa, and consisting Of sew
en- Justices, became wrathy at Thu
free criticism, and had the Attorney
General commence legal action be-
fore them for contempt of court.
Charles l.. Wilson and Andrew Shu-
man, the owner and chief editor OF
the Journal, were summoned to o.
tawa to answer for their offense.
They filed answers which set forth
their reasons, and their right to criti-
else the administration of public of
ficers. But al! in vain. The Su
preme Seven could not forgive the in.
suit to their dignity which they pre-
tended to detect in the very just anc
truthful article above, and four OF
them concurred in declaring the ac-
cused guilty Of contempt of court
while the other three dissented
They were sentenced TO pay $500, or
be committed to prison ard not
wishing to play the martyr they paid
the fine and costs.
It is unfortunate for their Supreme
Honors' success in trying to force u
to respect them, that they took up
quarrel now at issue, in which every
lover of law and Of peace is arrayeo
against them. The people are cry
ing out for the conviction and hang
ing of acknowledged murderers, ac-
cording to law ; but four of their Su
premacies have virtually declared to
the free people of Illinois and their
spokesman of the public press, keep
silent about the way we set murder
ers free dare not to hint that the
Justice we deal out is not infinitely
beyond all mercenary faint; for ",
hold an arbitrary and despotic pow
to reach forth to the remotest cor
nor of Illinois, drag into court, fine,
imprison and ruin any editor who
dares question the purity OF our pro,
ceedings."
As a natural consequence, the
Journal and most other papers have
been filled with bitter denunciatione
and contemptuous illusions toward
Chief Justice Lawrence and his Courl
ana he finds himself in a nest of hOr
nets too numerous to be dealt with
by similar proceedings.