Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-08
THE IMPEAC HMENT
CASE OPENED FOR THE DEFENSE.
Judge Sherman Page on the Stand All Day
Yesterday--Direct Testimony in Denial
of the Charges Preferred.

The House judiciary committee yesterday |
morning resumed their consideration of the
Page case, and called the first witness,
Judge Sherman Page, against whom
the charges are preferred. He
took the stand about o'clock and COM.
menced recital of the events, and others
bearing thereon, which have been brought
in question by the witnesses for the prosecu-
ton. Some idea of the length and extent of
the story told by Judge Page may be gath
cred from the statement that it occupied
nearly six hours in delivery, and was not
completed until short time before
adjournment at six o'clock last even
ing, when the over-worked committee
adjourned until this morning. tits impos
sible to give any explicit report
THE MAJOR PORTION oE THE RECITAL
during the three hours before recess was tax
en- at noon, and was confined to considera-
ton of the testimony of Mr.. Lafayette
French. Judge Page made circumstantial
denial of what large portion of the. wit
nesses had testified. The main facts on
which the charges are hung are, of course.
admitted, but he denies that he is given
to angry defamation; that at any time he
addressed the grand jury and exhibited tenn
per; asserts that his connection with the
whisky riots was only such as he believed his
duty as Judge, in the emergency required of
him, an eyewitness to the excitement which
prevailed at that time. So far as the libel
suit against Dowdson & Basford is concerned
he asserts that he went to the publishers of
the Register and asked of them denial
which they refused, and the delay which oc-
CURED in bringing the case to trial was not
of his own yolition but was owing to
HIS INABILITY TO SECURE JUDGE
to preside in his place. The charge OF
Woodland that he entered Judgment in his
own interest is denied, and the proceedings
said to be those of 0. E. Wheeler, in which
judgment was entered in default of appear
ance by the defendant. He denies that he
used the language with which he is charged
to Mr.. Simpson while he was in
custody, and asserts that all that was said tc
him was in the best spirit, and with the best
intent. The testimony of ex-senator r.
Smith, he explains in the statement that he
had very little acquaintance with him, anc
WAAOA AAAAs A1AAAUAA oShOU VI ILL LIS ODAL1OI
in the cases growing out of the SUITS anG
which had found their way into the justice
court, he gave it as a private citizen to
{ private citizen and in no sense as an officia
| utterance. He assured the committee fur
) ther, that he harbors no animosity to til,
gentlemen who have appeared before tn,
> committee and have been prominent in tn
) prosecution; that he never has had
, OTHER THAN KINDIy rEErINcs
.. for them, and is unable to explain why the
have conceived the spirit of hostility attrib
uted to him.
The cross examination which had bee,
but commenced, when the commit
tee adjourned will be resume,
this morning, and will probably &C
cupy great part of to-day. It is expecte,
that the next witness called will be F. A
Elder, late Clerk of the Courts in Move
I county.
Judge Pages friends assert that his testi
7 mony has thrown a flood of light upon tn
$ testimony given for the prosecution, an
r which they do not regard as particular
damaging after the cross examination ha
: been submitted. On the other han,
: the anti-Page men are confident that the re
). suit will be the preferment of articles of i'm
peachment against Judge Page, but no
J, without discussions, and split in the com
mittee.