Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-04
= AgTEMpr 10 BULLY a couRr.

supporting tne administrators of Justice he
upholds and defends his liberties.
The chief actor in the dramatic scene
was an ex-Justice of the Supreme Court
notorious rather than famous for his rela-
tinu to bloody episode in the earlier his
tory of the State-Judge d. s. Terry, and
his colleague in the outrage was his wife,
better known as Sarah Althea Hill,
woman scarcely less in the public eye of
late because of her relation TO the notori-
Gus case prosecuted by her 10 establish her
alleged marriage to the late William
Sharon. The Federal tribunal, consisting
Of four Judges, with Justice Field Of the
United States Supreme Comt presiding,
was ruling that the petition should be
granted to revive and carry into execution
prior and final decree of the Court that
declared the alleged marriage contract be-
tween Sarah Althea Hill and William
Sharon to be fraudulent and Of no effect.
The Court was interrupted in announc-
ing its decision by violent outburst of
passion upon the part Of the woman, who
assailed the Judges with voluble profanity
and disgraceful blackguardism and charges
that they had been bought to rule against
her Her husband made no effort to re-
strain her, but on the contrary, and with
nurderous threat upon his lips, felled
the United States Marshal who sought to
remove her, and soon after, resisting the
officers of the Court, drew weapon and
endeayored to add homicide to his ruffianly
behavior. Only by force of numbers was
he overpowered and disarmed Terry was
promptly and properly committed to jail
for six months, and his wife, who began
the afiray, and evidently with premedita-
tion. was sent up for thirty days-a mild
punishment under the circumstance
since she came into Court armed with
pistol, thus justifying the conclusion that
she intended to second her language by
force of arms.
Tae presiding Judge, Justice Field OF
the United States Supreme Court, retained
his composure during the trying scene,
and met the emergency with that judicial
calm and dispassionate behavior that
robes the American tribunal Of law when
thus oficered, with the dignity and
majesty of the people of the Republic,
ard inspires for it the respect and COM
mendation of all lust men.
Terry has been taught that the days of
decayed chiyalry that in the past brow
beat Courts, and eowed citizens by its
bullying, are over. for like a common Of
fender he has been. jugged No mistaken
dispensation Of mercy should shorten his
term by 50 much as minute, nor yet that
OF his misguided partner whom he might
have controlled had he wished to. and
who assumed the authority of a plural to
speak for him as well as herself in
charging the bench with being corrupt.
Whoever strikes at the Courts of the
people established to administer the laws
they enact, delivers his blow not at the
occupants of the bench, but at the system
OF free government that makes these tri-
bunals the voice of the people He assails
no. the Judges but the liberty of the citi
zens they represent and that Courts are
established to hedge about with the safe
guards of the law. Judge Terry, there
fore, threw off the robes of an honorable
profession that made him an officer Of the
Court, and placed him under the most
solemn obligation TO maintain at least
the seeming Of respect for ii, anddescended
t the level Of the bully when he struck
down the Courts bailif, who was no more
than discharging his duty, and who he
we'll knew would not and could not Do
ha-ia 10 mis- wife. In other words. he
stood is second TO the woman when ne an
n1lnced that he would kill whosoeyer
touched her, and thus in effect declared
that she should not be interrupted in her
blsckguardly assault.
For this conduct he ought TO be di.-
barred and taught in a manner beyond the
probability Of recall, that the bludgeon
days are over in California that if a man
upUn whom the people have visited the
dignity and honors of the Supreme bench
Will not himself maintain the authority
and dignity Of American Courts, the people |
will yindicate them when thev are as
sailed. The passion Of the wife. born of
her disappointment and chagrin, will 90,
with many people, good way in merciful
mitigation OF her ofense and evidently |
the Court itself, in administering the re-
buke the character OF the bench made
imperative, was moved in degree by the
chlvalrous sentiment that softens for a
woman, even when she develops as a vixen,
the punishment that for a man will not
and should not be relaxed.
The American people will testify 20
their loyalty to the law and lis admins
tration by furnishing not one apologist
for the outrageous conduct of Terry and
his wife. If the rigors of imprisonment
do not impress them with the fact that the |
tribunals of the land are neither to be
builied by men nor blackguarded by |
women with impunity, they will at least
discover that the people whose institutions
Of law they have outraged, are in judgment
a unit in their condemnation.
---S>
TIE rapidity with which the House
rushed through Chinese exclusion bill
yestsrday-only faulty synopsis Of which
is at hand-proyes how badly frightened
our Democratic brethren are over the fail
ure of the Administrations Chinese treaty.
It's poor Presidential year that brings no