The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-06


1900, which had been offered, and that it
required $4,000 TO pacify him. He said
the executor would pay $1,000 and my
$500 would all but make up the balance"
what did he say to you about your sis
ter employing him in the matter?'
Judge Evans had always insisted that
my sister had employed him as q secret at.
, torney in the case, and had promised him
5000. lie insisted that should pay this.
paid him $780, here is the receipt"
The receipt was written in pencil and read
rs follows;
Received Of John Funk one hundred
dollars in full Of all demands of whatever
kind against the estate of Elizabeth Funk
Repdick, or all as az inst himself
This is final settlement for all profess
sional services rendered Elizabeth Funk
Reddick.
June Is, 1883, Csigned) Daniel Evans"
" MIR, Funk said that he supposed that
Judge Evans turned the money over to
Messrs. Duncan and Reddlck. The library
board called upon him to pay his share Of
the settlement money. He told them that
he had already given 81 500, but as he had
promised secrecy he did not divulge to whom
he had paid it, until he was placed in pc,
sition where he would either be compelled
to pay it again or speak. He said that he
would make demand upon Judge Evans
for the principal and interest, and if the lat
ter would not pay, he would bring suit as
soon as possible.
Judge Evans filed a suit against the pub.
Usher Of the sheet which printed the sensa-
tional report, claiming damages Of $4,000,
and he will, he says, also have him indicted
for criminal libel.
This gives both sides of the affair. To all
appearances, it involves q misapprehenson
of the purposes to which the money paid to
Judge Evans was to be appropriated the
Judge insisting it was paid him as his legit'
innate fees as attorney; Mr.. Funk that he
understood it to be his share of the cost of
settlement of the Reddiok case.
As between these two views, the FREE
TRADER is not prepared, on its present in
formation. to dictate an opinion. 1t must
be said of Judge Evans that crookedness'
is the last of sins that he has been accused
of and the FREE TRADER is. not inclined to
accuse him Of it now. The statement of
Funk does not make case against him by
any means that it is impossible for him to
entirely explain to the satisfaction of honest
men and good citizens; and as suit has been
brought against his acouser that explanation,
if possible, will undoubtedly be made before
tribunal competent to adjudicate it on its
merits.
1t cannot be denied, however, that the
prsctice-perfectly legal-of permitting
Judges on the bench to act as attorneys in
cases within their own jurisdiction or ar
rising out of matters coming before them in
their own courts, is morally improper, and
the legal right to do so should be abolished
by statute. A Judge should be paid a salary
commensurate with the dignity of his Office
and the requisite ability Of the man who
should be called to the bench and that sal
airy should not depend on the caprices of q
lof Of smart alexis or Board of Supervisors
who measure the value Of men who sit on
the bench as they estimate the value Of a
man who saws wood or hoes potatoes. Be-
ing paid proper salary for their services as
judges. they should then be prohibited from
acting in any capacity as attorneys in cases
coming before them in their own courts or
in cases to be adjusted in another jurisdic-
ton