The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-03
RESPECT FOR COURTS.

'Ine Indianapolis journal uOeS Judge
Gould a great injustice. A more difficult
case to manage was never better presided
over than Judge Gould is presiding over this
one"-Lafayette Courier.
The indianapolis Journal has not done
Judge Gould an injustice, and fully realizes
the hardship of his present position. The
Journal has said that there have been pro-
ceedings in the Cougar Mandler trial dis
graceful to all concerned in them. These
proceedings were taken from the Courier's
own columns The Lafayette Journal, and
the Lafayette Courier as we'll coincided with
and Endorsed the Journals structures by
making their own even stronger and more
effective than ours had been, for they are on
the ground and know better than we can all
that transpires The indianapolis Journal
said if lawyers would not respect themselves
and their profession sufficiently to keep
within the bounds of common decency in
public trials, courts would have to be more
severe in their rulings. There can be no
question about this, if public respect for law
and for courts of justice is thought
to be worth preserving. The scenes enacted
in the star-route trial emphasize what we
have said, as do the proceedings in the Gou-
gar Mandler case. We quote from the Cour-
Ter again sample or two. begging pardon of
the respectable public for doing so, but there
is an absolute and imperative demand
for a correction of court habits and
court indecency, else all law and courts
will fall together into an abyss of public con-
tempt These extracts are made from the
issue of the Courier which also contained
the paragraph quoted at the head Of this ar
ticle:
"Coffroth-I wish 1 had one of Levering's
hats. Has anybody got one2 Long pause
"Coffroth-You haven't got many custo-
mers here, Mr.. lowering. Laughter. Some
one in the crowd whirled his hat, an i'm
mense one, toward Cotfroth. Colonel Wilson
saw it coming, and escaped being buried be-
meath it by skillful lodging, which would
put TO the blush some of the prodigious teats
| of several of the witnesses in this celebrated
case.
Henry Deible next witness-It was in his
| shop in Balls block that Henry Kruse
worked year ago last fall when he saw Mrs.
| Cougar go up into Wallace's office witness
swore that Kruse had not told him he had
seen a woman go up into Wallace's oiice,
but that a neighbor woman named Kate
had come to the door and told him (Kruse)
that a woman had gone up to Wallace's
office.
"Davidson-Who was this Kate?
! "A.-Kate Arnold.
! charlottesville was woman OF the town,
was she not2
"A.-Oh, yesl She lived right here in Balls
block" [Laughter.l
"Coffroth-Who was this woman, Kate
Arnold?
"A.-She had rooms in Balls block, across
hte hall from my shop she was dress
maker.
'Coffroth-Did she ever do any sewing for
you?
| "A.-No Stree
"Cofroth-You did some painting for
| Kate believer
Al did.
"Coffroth-You didn't take it out in trade?
"A.-No stree.
Earnest and respectable members of the
bench and bar, and citizens who are anxious
| for the future, are inquiring among them
selves, and with more or less publicity,
what is the reason for the palpable deca-
dence OF puDllc respect LOT cour1S Vi law
As part of the answer we place before
them such inane and irrelevant stuff as
has marked the progress of the Cougar
Mandler case at Lafayette, and enforce upon
their thought that the members of the pro-
! fession-those who sit upon the bench and
those who practice at the bar-have the
remedy very largely at their own command.
If public respect for law and for courts is to
be retained, the members of the profession
must show the public that they themselves
have respect for them. Respect lost or
thrown aside in the profession, and courts
turned into variety theaters, no one can be
surprised at correspondingly low regard on
the part of the common people.