The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-28
CALLED BEFORE The BAR
Newspaper Men L'C.ured By Mis-
SOula'S Court.
WHAT THE JUDGE SAID
The Johnson Trial Developed Sew
eral Very Sensational Incidents
Yesterday-Witne Tell a
Startling story.

editors, managers, reporters and CORE
spondents." which attracted almost as
much attention as the johnson trial.
Deputy Sheriff Tom Corbett had been
scurrying around all tho morning with
pressing invitation from tho judge To be
present az tho court room at il:4j o'clock.
When that hour arrived, representatives
of the Western Democrat, tho MissouliGn
and the STANDARD were on hand. but the
Miners correspondent did not show up. 1t
was n little early for him, anyway. lie
came around few minutes after ~
o'clock and then had special session
with the judge, all by himself.
When tho examination of Witness
Loughborough had been concluded it was
II 80 o'clock and Judge Woody excused
the jury until / 80 o'clock this afternoon,
but requested all present in the court
room 10 remain as court had not adj
iourned. There were probably 200 people
IN the room at the time and, as the jury
filed out there was breathlcss silence, as
something sensational was expected.
The Judge then announced that he had
sen; after the newspaper men and, cali
ing them by name, requested them to
come forward. All responded except tho
Miner man and, after the court bailIiI had
called his name several times III vain,
Judge Woody spoke as follows:
what / have called you Tor, gentle
men, is this: This case is exciting a good
deal OF interest in this community, and
there are n great many parties here evil
IDENTIFY interested IN this case other than
tho two defendants, and / have called
you here for the purpose of requesting
you that, while have no objection toyour
detailing testimony given in court, l must
request editors. managers and correspOn-
dents to make no commons on this matte
until the final termination of the case.
"Now, | don't desire that this court shall
be talked about as a court rs at Butte;
that there they have factions and nation
alties so that il is impossible that parties
may have justice done them that the fac
tions and nationalities take sides; that
iuries. executive officers, and TO some ex-
tent ministerial officers are either directly
or indirectly accused of getting men on
the jury that are favorable to tho side of
thaIaciion they represent.
Now. anything that n newspaper pub
fishes which is calculated to prevent or OBJ
struct the due administration of justice is
n contempt of court.
"Now. / don't want to get int o any
newspaper war; and, so far as the papers
plant to make, except tho MiSsouiian.
The Missoulidn, think, transcends all
propriety. In tho comments that are
made in il and tho manner in which the
testimony has been detailed, if n copy of
the paper were TO get to the jury, l am
not prepared to say that II wouldn't in
fluence that jury. | don't say that It was
printed with intent, but that article, as the
comments in that article, IL has n ten
dency 10 form public sentiment. or to
crystalline public sentl mont; and while |
have taken every measure to keep from
the jury all papers containing articles on
this case, yet papers may get to the jury
and am not prepared to say that il would
not influence the jury.
II don't want to get into newspaper
war with the newspapers, but anything
that newspaper publishes which is cal
culated 10 prevent or obstruct the due adj
ministration of Justice will be contempt
of court.
whether it is written or spoken il is
contempt of court. And while L don't
want any newspaper war, il it should be-
come necessary. think this court will he
able To meet any emergency.
"Gentlemen, trust you will not make
any comments that will have tendency
Ia obstruct the duo administration of JUS
ticc.
"when you publish testimony you ought
90 publish testimony as nearly as 1t is
given. After the case is tried don't care
what YOU say about it,
;. Il. Laughborouyh, n carriage sales
man from san Francisco, was the first
witness called this morning for the state.
Laughborough Is the witness that the
-, IL.
case. lie was an admirable witness,
cool and courteous, and was not ratified
by any amount of cross-questioning. lie
told of having gone into the store room in
the second story OF tho stable. where the
fire was started, with Mr.. johnson, and
also of having seen there heap of cotton
rags saturated with coal oil, which he
rubbed against, soilng his clothing. lie
was very minute IN his account Of the
visit and SAID that he kept diary and the
points were thus fixed n his mind. He
said that he saw johnson at tho stable at
five minutes before midnight on the
the night of the tire and also that when
nc went up - the second story after the
fire he saw that several bugsics and car
riagcs which had been there when he first
visited the place had been removed. lie
was certain Of all OF these points. as he
had kept diary.
After sharp contamination, which
did not change has story, court adjourned
for tho spccia! newspaper mems ses-
sion.
In the afternoon tho state presented two
unimportant witnesses and then rested.
Hal =. Corbctt made the statement for
Ihc defense. lie said that the defendant
would show that the removal of carriages
had been made for the purpose OF paint
ing and repairing, and uo, with any GRIM
inal motive; that Johnson went home the
night before the fire 40 1880 o'clock and
not at - o'clock, as LaugAborough hal
testified; that the testimony OF Laugh
borough. Hawkes. and others had been
wrong; and that the circumstances upon
which the state re led for its case can p.
explained satisfactorily.
Angus Mcleod was the first witness
called for the defense, Mcleod was