Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-06-15
A scANuALovs CONSPIRACY.

The Manner la whici. lCo'r"pti""
Dodge Was Pat up on Judge Bcn"ctt.
A correspondent OF the Chicago Tribune
writing from Rapid City. gives the Glow
ing account of a plot arranged for the dis
grace Of Judge Bennett:
\ \ y Y By the way, too, this Judge
Of ours (Bennettl has recently been made
the victim Of one of the most scandalous
conspiracies ever concocted against man.
have been plotting for q year to secure his
removal, because they could not control his
Judicial opinions, and who have been play.
ing spy upon every act Of his, in q vain
effort to find some evidence OF which to
secure his removal, determined In the
month of April, to corrupt him, If posslble,
BY a preconcerted plan; then betray him,
and furnish the evidence to secure his re-
moval. With this object in view, they offer
ed him an interest in some placer grouno,
representing it to be very rich. The certiti.
Gates Of location, and other papers eyidencing
title, vera shown, and most positive assu.
RANGES madethat there was no adverse claims
Of any kind whatever, and no probability, Of
share out of the expense Of opening the
ground and operating. His check was
given for fifty dollars toward these
expenses, and work began. But there
came no profits; there was delay in open
ing and finally the plotters explained that
there was a lion in the way q party claim
ing the quartz-location was determined to
claim also the placer. "But," said the
Judge, "ours is the prior location, and we
will disclaim all interest in the quartz how
can they claim the placer ground? 2" The
others assured him that such an adverse
claim was made, and it would be necessary
to silence the contestants with a shotgun or
an Injunction. Here was the focus of the
conspiracy to get the judge to issue an in
junction in a case of property in which he
was a part owner. Of course he rejected
Indignantly the shotgun proposition, and
necessary. Then they got a painful Of dirt
I" sailed" it with $3.50 worth of trade-dust,
and took that to the Judge as a specimen of
the dirt in their claim. He PANIED it out in
a common wash-pan, lost some, but realized
S2.15, and, of course, felt delighted at the
prospect. Then the plotters clamored again
for an injunction. They declared they
could no longer hold back one Of
their number ian a%ttornes); that he
was preparing the papers in the case,
and would present them in a few days. "He
must wait and submit the matter to Judge
Barnes, who will hold court here for me next
week." said the Judge. That would not do;
they knew the lawyer would insist on an
order at once. "Then," said Judge Bennett,
II shall simply tell him the relation l sus-
tain to the property, and the reason l can
not hear him )" and, acting more promptly
on this conclusion than the conspirators
imagined, he started soon after for the office
of the lawyer referred to, and, while the
two with whom he had just had the conyer-
sation were reporting it in the back office,
he himself in the front Office informed the
determined injunctor that be was going
away; that he could not hear his applica-
ton because owning a fifth interest in the
property with him, and that the matter
could be submitted to Judge Barnes. The
conspirators were thus circumventtd at the
eliminating point in their plot by the
honesty of a Judge, who had trusted them
up to the very point Of their corrupt
proposals, and then defeat them as en-
tirely as could have been done by counter.
less, made their affidavits, %recouIting all
these circumstances, which, with all the
coloring they could give, still fail to NAL g
a case,-and sent their agent to the depart.
ment Of justice at Washington to ask the
removal Of the judge. AS the latter is very
popular with the people here, and counter
petitions, signed by thousands, have already
gone forward, it is not likely that the de.
partment will take any action in the pre-.
mises, except to file the affiuavits in which
some disappointed men have advertised
their own shame and defeat, and, together
with this testimony, file the numerous flat
,cring testimonials to the judges honesty
and incorrup,ibility, which the malicious
attacks upon him have naturally evoked.