The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-11-29

UNREASONABLE PREJUDICE.
Origin of Judge Littleton's Deep-SeAtet
Dislike to Newspaper Interviews.

'eThats funny" said the new re-
porter, turning the pages of note
book that looked as though, after
long and busy day. it had retired after
assigning itself, that's funny"
PUT it in. then, said the snake edit
tor, who was always serious himself,
but enioyed ANYTHING funny when it
was explained to him, although it was
generally believed that he enjoyed the
explanation more than the joke, and
that not very frequently is the best part
of the great majority of most jokes.
But can't" said the new reporter.
'.for don't know what it is.
Let me look at it" said the fore
man, who used to be the only man on
The Tribune who could set up Horace
| Greeley'S manuscript. He nightly
made affidavit to this and everybody
| believed him, because he couldn't set
| up anybody's manuscript in that shop.
| and we knew that he couldn't haye
had reprint copy all the time. he
| studied il for a moment, and said
| THAT isn't note of anything; it's
only a name, Judge Henry G. Littieton.
ssOh, now know" said the new re-
porter, II was sent up to interview
him, but / haven't got n word OF the
interview"
| Cant YOU remember enough of it?"
suggested the agricultural editor, who
was q veteran, and always liked to
help fellow ont.
| Not word.' said the new re-
porter, land what's worse, l can't re-
member what was told to interview
him on. It's too late to find out now"
And he looked a groan that he did not
utter.
Everybody made suggestions of all
. sorts of things judge might probably
and profitably be interviewed upon.
and finally the congress decided that
it was about famous divorce case
that was to be tried before Judge Lit
:, Teton the following day. So the new
> reporter went gayly to work and told
everything he thought he could re-
+ member the judge said, what he
thought of the parties To the suit, how
the witnesses ranked in point of mem
: dacity, the estimation in which he
: held the counsel on either side, and
!. wound up by declaring in the first
t person and with great emphasis his
d own opinion of the case and how he
s had determined to decide it. The new
s reporter worked in the legal phraseol-
q ogy very nearly, gave strong judicial
i accent to the judges remarks and his
d own questions that he flattered him.
i self, he told the fish editor would de-
II ceive the very elect, and went to bed
satisfied with his work, and undisturb-
ed by the remark of the fish editor
who had grown to be a confirmed
I'll doubter of neatly everything that al
W most everybody else said, that ''some.
h. times the elect weren't so all-killing
70 fresh that green hand could land
them"
Well, of course there was the usual
la row, and the usual general denials that
81 always follow the publication of ar
VI interview, but that is always expected
in every well regulated and carefully
he disciplined office where the entire stat
III is conscientious and thoroughly train
: ed, and the judge was rather quiet, 81
n nobody thought much of anything
AZ | about il until one time about tire
or | years after, in the course Of a suit 10
in foreclosure of mandamus on bill ii
! fiotsam and trover, or something o
n that sort, counsel for the defendant in
ms troduced an interview with the plaintiff
as evidence, and Judge Littleton, VIII
was on the bench, turned very pale
and held on to himself with both hands
is and asked in a dim, strained voice,
IL the counsel proposed to Introduce
,o newspaper interview evidence
Counsel replied: IF it please the cour
as as evidence Then the old judg
yn leaned forward, fined him $1,000 an
rs committed him to Jail six months 10
N. contempt of court, and added that h
;es was sorry he couldn't hang him. Tha
lg, was the first that any of us in tn
at Office dreamed that the Judge, or in
Nv deed any other man, held any preiu
~ dice on the subject of interviews.
uy Bxrolette in BrOokigR Eagle