People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-03
Some Stories of Gresham.


Some months ago Judge Gresham
denied that he had been an aspirant
for a place on the supreme bench
during the preseat administration.
He and the president are old enemies.
Their enmity dates back to the time
when Judge Gresham from the bench
reproved Mr.. Harrison and Mr.. Har-
rlson from the floor talked back. Il
Mr.. Gresham did not send some of
his friends to Washington to urge his
appointment to the supreme bench
by this administration, the president
was very much deceived. He said
some time ago to a friend that five
or six men from Chicago had come
to Washington to see him, apparently
with no other object than to urge
him to appoint Judge Gresham to
the supreme bench, and he believed
that Gresham had sent them. They
told him how magnanimous it would
appear to the oountryif he appointed
his old rival to this high position.
People would say that President
Harrison was greater than his office
that he had appointed his rival,
the man who had fought him so bit
terly for many years, regardless OF
personal animosities, because he was
so we'll fitted to adorn the bench.
President Harrison was not inf1u-
enced by these arguments. "In the
first place,"| he said to those gentle
men, "the appointment does not be-
long to the Gection from which Judge
Gresham comes. In the second place,
people would say, not that had done
great act, but that | had gone out
of my way ito truckle to my enemy"
So Mg. harrison declined to turn
the otifn W stke 1 3}ggd 50 Judge
in 1892.
Judge GRESHAM is a quick-tempered
man, and al Mr.. Cleveland is also a
man of son Feasibility it is not at
all improbable that there will be some
friction in the cabinet meetings of
the new adl mlnistration when foreign
affairs are to be discussed. Judge
Gresham's Feasibility has been shown
many times upon the bench. One
case is of record where he had SEN
fenced man to four years in the
penitentiary, and as the condemned
man was leaving the court he turned
and said something to one of the
court officials or to friend. Judge
Gresham called him back.
"What was that you said just
now?" he asked.
"Nothing in PARTICULAR" said the
prisoner.
II insist on knowing what you
said" said the Judge.
"Well, just said that the sentence
was pretty hard or something like
that" the man replied.
81 might have given you seven
years instead of FOUR" said the Judge.
''Here, Mr.. Clerk, alter that sentence.
Make it seven years" And the un-
fortunate man got three years addi-
tional imprisonment for his comment
on Judge Gresham's sentence.
In another case a condemned man
arose to address the court just after
sentence had been passed on him.
The Judge ordered him to sit down.
He persisted in speaking and again
the Judge ordered him to be quiet.
A third time he begged to be allowed
to make an explanation. Then Judge
Gresham turned to the clerk and
ordered the sentence changed and
increased to the full limit allowed by
law. This quoted the prisoner eff
fectually.
There are number Of cases of
this kind on record.
Judge Thompson, who was Assist
ant Postmaster General under Gresh-
am, says that the Judges manner is
sometimes irritable and domineering
when it is his intention to be amiable
and do kindly act. A case in point:
One day while he was talking to a
newspaper correspondent the Post
master General came in. He asked
what had become Of the case of a
postal clerk arrested for embezzle-
ment in one Of the Western States.
The name of the man was Nicholson.
Gle is held for trial" said Judge
Thompson. "He has had a prelim-
mary examination"
"Well, want you to telegraph to
the District Attorney and order the
case dropped" said the Postmaster
General.
Judge Thompson gasped. "This
is impossible, General" he said.
esThe matter is in the hands of the
District Attorney. We have moth
ing more to do with it,
"But I want the case dismissed"
said the Postmaster General.
II must respectfully decline to do
so," said Judge Thompson. "The