The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-09-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
GILL OF KANSAS TO SUCCEED
JUDGE J. M. SPRINGER.
JUDGE ThOmas' Aspirations Cause Much
Levity-TerrItory Officials Ia WASH
InRtOn-The jail Question Dis
cussed-TItIe to Land, Etc.
Special to the Ardmoreite.


Washington, d. c., Sept. ia
change will occur within a few days
in the judge of the northern district
of Indian Territory. In short sue
cessor to William M. Springer is to
be appointed in the person of Joseph
A. Gill, of Colby, Kan.
This will undoubtedly be in the ma
ture of surprise to many people in
the Indian Territory, who have been
led to believe that Judge Springer
would be allowed to remain in his
present place until next December,
four years from the date of his con-
firmation by the United States SEN
ate. But probably the greatest sur
prise will be in the appointment of
his successor, Joseph A. Gill. Judge
John r. Thomas, for months has
been looking with a covetous eye
upon Judge Springer's place. He
has been anxious that Judge Spring
er's mantle should fall upon his
shoulders. In fact he has believed
or has announced that there was no
question as to his appointment to
this place. His announcement that
he was the presidents special re-
preventative in the territory, seem
ingly confirmed in part by the an
nouncements from his court of hap
penings during the war, which it
was claimed were sent directly to
him by the Secretary of War, indi-
eating the greatest intimacy with
the president and his official family,
and other affairs of a similar nature
have reached the presidents ear.
1t can be stated on reliable author
ity that the president was at first
dumfounded, then amused. He was
at a loss to understand why these
stories had been put in circulation,
but after inquiry among prominent
republicans from the western states
and citizens of Indian and Oklahoma
Territories he learned for the first
time the true condition of affairs.
About the same time ''fricassed
charges" by the bushel commenced
to arrive at the Department of JUS
tice a2 ainst Judge Thomas. BY rea-
son of his service in congress Presi
dent Mckinley hesitated to act upon
the charges against his former col
league and more recently his ap-
pointee upon the federal bench in
Indian Territory. The result has
been that the charges were smother
ed at the Department of Justice.
When the question of Judge Spring
er's successor came up last January,
Mr.. Gill's nomination was promptly
sent to the senate, although Judge
Thomas's friends had urged him fer
the place. About the same time
Judge Springer's friends appealed to
the president, insisting that he had
n OF served four years, the term for
which he had been appointed by
President Cleveland, and that his re-
moval at that time would be a seri-
GUS reflection upon the administra-
another colleague, for whom the
president had the highest regard,
and as a result Mr.. Gill's nomination
was Withdrawn from the senate. At
torney General Griggs soon thereaf-
ter became member of the cabinet.
He held a different view from that
of his predecessors in regard to the
date of j commission. General
Griggs insisted that an appointment
ran from the time the appointee as
sumed charge of the office. AS
Judge Springer was appointed on the
20th day of March, 1899, his term
would naturally expire on the goth
day of March, 1899. When that date
arrived, however, the president was
deluged with work and unable to
consider the matter. AS result it
ran along until last Friday when At
torney General Griggs called it to
the attention of the president at the
cabinet meeting, and urged an i'm
mediate change, recommending Mr..
Gin's appointment. The president
acquiesced and the commission Will
be duly issued in few days.
*4x
United States Attorney Pliny
l.. Soper, United states Marshals
Leo. Bennett of the northern district
and John S. Hammer of the southern
district, 5. NJ. Rutherford, a prom
inent attorney at Muskogee and e.
A. Lubbes, jailor of Muskogee, ar
rived in the city the first of last
week. Marshal Bennett brought
with him a couple of men who had
been declared insane by the federal
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