St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-22
INCIDENT IS CLOSED
JUDGE WILLIS EASILY DISPOSEs OF
THE SEYMOUR-HAWTHO
NATTER.
ORDER OF THE COURT MADE.
FIRMED BY FAILURE TO FILE -
CHARGES. '-
ORDER OF THE COURT MAD
comment of the Court on the Case
Easy Way Out of the Diff
Guilty.

Judge Willis action In the Seymour
! Hawthorne incident was watched with
keen interest by a number of leading
attorneys yesterday, for there was a
good deal of speculation as to how the
court was going to dispose of the
unique situation that had resulted from
it's order and Mr.. Seymour's refusal
TO comply Herewith.
Attorneys McCafferty and Mcmillan
were present to, represent Mr.. Haw-
thorne, and stated to the court that
they We're ready to file reply to the
document filed by Mr.. Seymour, in
which he declined to, retract his state
ment regarding Mr.. Hawthorne or file
formal charges. Judge Willis had Mr..
Seymour's answer to his order read,
and afterwards told Mr. Hawthorne and
his attorneys that it was not necessary
to file any reply The court then made
the following order:
Whereas, at the special term of this court
next preceding the present special term Judi
cial cognizance was taken of certain informal
accusations involving professional misconduct
on the part of j: M. Hawthorne. Esq, and
this court directed Mcneil V. Seymour, ESQ
the accuser. to present formal charges in the
premises or to withdraw the charges (made
informally, as aforesaid) at or before noon on
and
Whereas, the accuser aforesaid has not made
any formal accusation, but has, by a written
document, deposited In the Office OF the clerk
of this court, expressly dsclaimed any desire
or intention of exhibiting any formal accusa-
ton in the premises, now, therefore it is
hereby ordered:
That the presumption OF innocence on the
part OF the said j. NJ. Hawthorne, as regards
the charges aforesaid is aided, reinforced and
confirmed by the aforesaid default of said ac-
cuser, and that the said ]. NJ. Hawthorne is
hereby fully eXonerated.
Ordered further, that all proceedings under
said former order be and the same hereby are
discontinued, and the incident is declared to
be closed
Following the making Of this order
Judge Willis proceeded to comment on
the incident in this language:
At the hearing upon Saturday last of a
motion in re Middlesex Banking Company VS..
Mary Branch, the personal reflections cast
upon the counsel for defendant had no proper
relation to any issue then before the court
They were not only unkind but gratuitous.
Accusations Of unprofessional conduct and
deeds eX malefcio against members of the bar
are pertinent only in the course of proceed
ings directed specifically toward the exercise
of those disciplinary powers, regarding coun-
sci, with which the courts of general juris-
diction are invested. Otherwise, they are out
Of place.
Imputations upon the character of profess
eurrence in our courts. AS they are not peril
nent to the issue between litigants (save in
the few cases where the lawyer is party liti-
CAN'T, the motives of counsel induIgng in
opprobrious language toward opponents can
with difficulty be subjected to O satisfactory
analysis. 1t seems probable that, in general
the motive Is compound, being an admixture
of desires TO discoiicert an opponent and to
prejudice the minds of the presiding Judge
against such opponent
To attempt to blind the eyes of an antagon-