The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-13
communicated
MIR. MIDDLETON TALKS.
He Addresses himself to Matters of
Difference Between Himself and
Judge NiIburn.
NlR. EDITOR:

the cour. to the grand jury recently con
vened; also the report of that grand jury
together with the remarks of the court
after the report was filed as published
IN the YELLOWSTONE Journal.
! have been told that it would not be
advisable for me to appear in the de-
fense Of any Of the persons indicted by
that grand jury. ! have been told that
il would not be wise or advisable for me
to make any remarks, either through the
public press or otherwise in relation to
that grand jury, or the empanelling
thereof. or IN anyway publicly comment
upon Its proceedings or acts. or to pub
iicly express myself in relation to the
conduct of the court in empanelilng
such grand jury. or any of its proceed
Ings. What ] shall have to say IN this
matter ! say not only as member Of
the bar. but rs a public official. having
been .city attorney of the city of Miles
City ever since II was incorporated as
city. with the exception Of one year.
The honorable gentlemen who pre-
sides over the destinies Of this judicial
district has seen hi TO say 10 his grand
Jury after they had concluded their work
that AS long as | am Judge Of this dis
trlct. failing M the support Ol those who
should by creed. Office or profession hold
up the hands of the decent IN their de-
sire tu have decent community IN
which to live. tins court will bc fOrtu
nate If it shall have the aid of such men
as yourselves IN the feTrettIug out II
those crimes which are nOXIOus and
heiuous to a community because they
are sU conspicuous and So damaging 10
the value Of residence property.
The court further says To his grand
jury before discharging them: You
have met opposition al the hands Of
those whose public duty IL to bring such
offenders 10 punishment, you have met
opposition at the hands of those who
hold themselves out to the community
as teachers and advocates OF virtue and
Of decency. but tins should not discOur-
az" you.
What the honorable gentlemen meant
10y these remarks | am unable 10 say.
Ii would seem. however. that by such
remarks he seeks to convey to the pub
lie the impression that the officers of
the city of Miles City have not done
their duty: he seems to 20 even further
than tins, indicating 10 the grand Jury
by his remarks, and To the public gen
orally that the officers of the city have
opposed the actions Of his grand jury
and have attempted To obstruct Justice
| DO not know what he means 10y these
remarks: IT would naturally be supposed
that the city attorney and police officers
of the city are the persons To whom he
addresses his remarks, If that be true
can only say that | certainl! have not
IN any way. shape or manner attempted
| tO oppose. or III any way Obstruct the
proceedings Of His Honors grand jury;
and / will state that do not believe the
| chief Of police or the nightwdtchman
! have In aDy way attemped To interfere
/ with. OF obstruct IN any way the pro
/ ceedIngs Of His Honor's grand Jury.
| Ii is an open secret tnat the honor
| able gentleman who presldes as Judge
| Of TINS district IL personal enemy Of
| mine. TOY reason of the fact that ! dId not
SEE hit To work in his interest 10 the last
| election: il Is fact that has been made
, notorious aud public by the honorable
| gentleman himself that he proposes to
use his Office for the purpose of humi.-
| iating aud dIsgracIng me az member
| Of the bar in tins district IN every way
/ that he can. this has not been done 81
much IN court as out Ul court. lie has
Dot only talked with friends of mine
f, but he has deliberately gone 10 clients
of the firm of Middleton ~ Llght and
stated to them that If they did not have
| written contract IN relation to attor-
| ney fees in their cases. that our firm
would rob them. lie has advised oui
clients not to settle with US. where fees
! were Justly due US, and has suggested tC
them To bring the matter before bim
and he would nix the amount that they
should pay. lie has not succeeded N
injuring the business of our firm, al
though We have positive Information
that ne has tried to-do so.
The remarks Of this honorable gentle
men. who presides over the destinies OF
this county as Judge of the Seventh
Judicial District. To his grand jury. af
ter they had concluded their work, a
portion of which have quoted above
were undoubtedly intended as against
myself as city attorney of the city oi
Miles City. and in relation to this mat
ter desire to state that there was an
ordinance passed by the city council ol
Miles City. which was approved on the
10th day Of July. lSsS. at which time
Col. George Scheetz was mayor OF said
city, Relating to houses Of ill-fame,
in and by which ordinance all such
houses were prohibited within the
limits Of the said city; this was done by
the city council at that time not for the
1
acter closed. but i'm order that If at any
time any one Of such houses became
particularly obnoxious, or was run iI
such way as to become an unusual
public nuisance. that there might bt
some means Of reaching IL; was in
structed by the mayor and city council
at that time not TO enforce the said or
dinance without Instructions from the
said mayor; since that time and during
which time the said ordinance has beer
law in Miles City the Hon. X. q
Redd was mayor in 1889; the Hon. FREQ
NJ. Kreidler who. by the way. was fore
man of His Honor's grand jury wal
mayor Of the city during the year ls9
and 1891. That thereafter and in lS.s
the Hon. j. w. Watson was mayor
That thereafter and in 1892 and 1893 thu
Hon. III. Il. Wiley was mayor. At th'
present time and since the last city elec
tion the Hon. Jepp Ryan is mayor'o
the said city.