The San Francisco call., 1896-06-24
JUDGE CAMPBELL
AS A PUG|L|ST.
With One Blow He Knocks
Out His Clerk, 7. B.
O'Brien.
THE LIE WAS PASSED.
elimination of Several Months
Bad Feeling Between the
Two.
WHAT LED UP TO THE TROUBLE
The Court Had TO Be Adjourned Be.
cause the Clerk Was Not in
His Place.

PugiIism is in the air, and even the Judi
ciary has not escaped the infection, as was
exemplified by Judge Campbell yesterday.
The victim of the Judges wrath was his
clerk, Tom O'Brien, and it was the cui-
minat.on of several months bad feeling
that has existed between them. The Judge
has on more than one occasion commented
from the bench upon O'Briens dereliction
of duty, and in private O'Brien has retail
ated by calling the Judge a fakir and
threatening to ''do him up" at the next
election.
Yesterday, shortly before noon, Larry
Buckley, who was acting as clerk, had
stepped out for few minutes and the
Judge had just called a robbery case.
Where is the cerk?'' asked the Judge,
and receiving no answer he said: This
sort of nonsense must be stopped. 1t Is
time for O'Bren to understand that he
must stay here and attend to the business
of the court. We will ad journ till 2 o clock
or until the clerk can attend to his duties. -
The Judge put on his hat. picked up his
cane and walked into the Prosecuting
Attorneys room. O'Brien happened to be
there. The Judge at once charged him
with neglecting his duties and told him he
would not stand his conduct any longer.
This led to battle of words, till finally
O. Brien shouted YOU'RE nothing but a
fakir and - liar.
"No man can call rue liar with i'm
punity," reioined the Judge, and in an in
stant he shot out his right fist, which
landed squarely on O'Brien's left tenn pie,
and he dropped to the floor like log.
The Judges blood was up, and he raised
his foot, but before he could administer
the threatened kick Policeman Bal ley in
hn
look of contempt upon the PROSTATE for m
of his clerk, walked out of the room and
went to lunch.
O'Brien, who had been completely dazed
by the blow staggered to his feet after the
Judge had left ana began pouring out his
vials of wrath upon the Judges head,
characterizing him as 'carpetbagger," a
away by some of his friends and did not
make his appearance in court again.
When court was convened at o'clock
the Judge said: perhaps it was an undig
ntied proceeding TO thrash O'Brien, but
although | am a Judge am only human,
and l will allow no man to call me liar.
Besides, this man O'Brien has been saying
insulting things about me in court here
and also in the hotel where we are stop
ping for months past, and it had got be-
yond endurance.
He has been grossly neglt ctful of his
duties and has brought the court into con-
tempt. The other day | convicted a man
| for beating a woman and ordered him to
appear for sentence next morning. The
case was not on the calendar next morn
ing ana l forgot about it for two or three
days, when it was called to my attention
that the man was in prison. [ spoke to
| o. Brien about it and he turned up his
calendar where he had marked the case
dismissed. That is only one instance, and
clerk s record"
The little finger of the Judges right
hand was cut ana swollen from the effects
of the blow.