The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-19
HE WANTS A FIGHT
BILL CAMPBELL rs INSULTING. To-
WARD JUDGE REED.

Conrt - Assistant Attorney General
S..,ds En- and Disputes the Court-Peo-
Wonder How Judge Reed Could Take it
so Complacentiy-Coun for the De-
tense and Four Jurymen Kick on the
Assistant Attorney General.
Yesterday witnessed some exciting
scenes in the district court and to say
that there was intense interest in the
proceedings in the Jack Davidson case
would be putting it mildly.
The idea advanced in yesterdays
Eagle that the assistant attorney gen.
eral was seeking trouble with Judge
Reed in order to furnish an excuse Tor
dismissing the Jack Davidson case be-
came so apparent yesterday that 1t was
pretty generally understood.
Some of the court officials declared
that they never saw such a brutal as
sault as that made by the assistant at
torney general on Judge Reed and they
were surprised that the district judge
could take it so complacently and ap-
pear as calm as a summer morning. The
only explanation offered was that the
fudge was aware of the attorney gener
ais scheme and was determined to fur
nish him no ground for complaint.
At one time the assistant attorney
general stood up before Judge Reed
like barroom bully and fatty contra
6icted his word and kept repeating it.
The crowd present held its breath and
expected to witness a tragedy in open
court but Judge Reed only furnished
proof of the fact that HE that govern
~ -
keith a city"
The trouble originated over an at
tempt Of the attorney general to intro
duce the evidence of Jack Davidson in
the Skelton-Boone case and the court
held that before doing that he must
show that the facts to which Davidson
testified must come within two years of
the time of instituting this case.
1t was claimed that Davidson had
sworn on the case referred to that Boon
as county attorney had filed three cases
against him and Matt Wall for violat-
ing the prohibitory liquor law and
that he had settled the cases out of
court.
Mr.. Campbell asked the district clerk
TO bring in the original files which he
said he would introduce to show that
the cases referred TO by Davidson in
his testimony were all within two years
Of the time of instituting the present
suit
When the files were brought in Mr..
Campbell looked over them and hand
ed them TO the court for his inspection,
remaining quiet while he did so.
Judge Reed remarked after he had
examined the files that one case was
for a violation of the liquor law on the !
fair grounds and he could not see what |
hot I'D nit Enc
Douglass avenue.
The assistant attorney general said |
he did not want to prove sales on the |
fair grounds but merely to prove the |
time referred to by Jack Davidson in |
his testimony in the Skelton-Boon case |
which he was seeking to introduce and |
when Judge Reed said he was obliged |
to pass on the files when they were sub |
mitted to him. Mr.. Campbell declared |
emphatically that he had not submitted |
them but that the court had asked for |
them.
Judge Reed insisted that they were
submitted to him when Mr. Campbell
played the bully and kept affirming
that the court had asked for the files
and stated that he wanted to introduce
the stenographers report of Davidson'S
testimony because in it he had stated
that he had been running a saloon.
Judge Reed then remarked that that
made a difference, but if Davidson had
stated that he was running a saloon
that he had overlooked it.
He did not state it," retorted Mr..
Amidon.
Mr. Campbell held a copy of David
sons testimony in his hand but instead
of reading it he charged the court with
playing on words and after he had bull
dozed the court or that point he said
Davidson had said he was running a
joint.
The assistant attorney general made
up his mind that he had fell down on
his attempt to locate the building in
which he claimed that Matt Wall and
Jack Davidson had violated the pro-
hibitory liquor law and he finally bull
dozed through a scheme that he thinks
will accomplish his purpose.
The court finally admitted the steno-
graphers report of Jack Davidson's ,
testimony in the Boon disbarment case
and when it came to be read it was
found that Davidson testified to hav-
ing sold wine to County Attorney Boon
but he did not state the time or place
the sale was made.
To supply this fatal commission the
assistant attorney general asked to be
allowed TO introduce the information
or SHELTON as filed in the Boon case ;
that he only wanted TO prove ,
the time. The defense objected and
the time OF the proceeding
and claimed that Jack Davidson ought
not be confronted with deposition of ;
a living witness in another ease.
Judge Read overruled the objection |
and when the assistant attorney gener-
ri read the information it charged that 4,
Boon had compromised three cases /
gainst Davidson and Wall for selling ]
liquor at go East Douglas avenue and Z
n his argument in favor of introducing i
he testimony Mr.. Campbell said he {
wanted 10 show To what-Jack Davidson :
lad reference in his testimony.
1t was the general opinion Of the at I
orneys present and Others who were 6
lot attorneys that Judge Reed in his a
,ver anxiety TO be fair To the assistant !
attorney general had made fatal mis- G
AXE in this ruling. He stated that i
lnything that Skelon had said must u
lot be taken against Davidson in this c
,ase when everybody in the court room I
ould see that his deposition supplied 8
he deficiency in Davidson's testimony |
r it did nothing. I
The jury now have Jack Davidson's I
eStimony TO the effect that he sold wine ,
nj Skeletons evidence that il was sold
I go East Douglas avenue The court
will probably instruct the jury that =
kelton's sworn statement in regard | .