The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-07


"A sensational story. which, IL true
throws new light on the famous Nova
mining claim litigation, and tends 10
prove that Judge Noyes. Of the United
states district court and the ofHciays
under MIN, have been falsely and mali
ciously charged with corruption in the
administration Of the law at Nome. by the
men VINO nave heretofore posed as the
victims OF their alleged malfeasance. is
brought from Nome by the steamship
Roanoke.
The story is. in brief, that the original
owners of the mining claims IN litiga-
ton. the Pioneer Mining Company and the
Wild Goose Mining Company. after spend
ing the whole Of the summer in a vain
effort to corrupt Judge Moves. or prove
him guilty of corruption. played their
last card and deliberately bent all their
energies to procuring perjured aff1davits
upon which to base an application for the
Impeachment of Judge Noyes in con-
gress next winter.
Through the refusal of one of their own
detectives to aid them In their alleged
disreputable schemes. the plot was foiIed.
Charles f. Heron. this detective laid all
information In his possession before
Joseph X. Wood. district attorney under
Judge Noyes, and Sunday morning Octo-
Der 2. Nome was electrified by news Of the
sudden flight of Samuel Knight one of
and one of the leading counsel for the
owners of the mining claims in ltiga-
ton.
The charge is made that Knight who
Is a member OF a leading law firm in San
Francisco, fed to his home in that city
to avoid arrest on charge of contempt
Of court Of subornation OF perjury At
first 1t was claimed that he smuggled him
self aboard the steamer st. Paul in wo-
mems clothes and thus eluded the deputy
marshals who. armed with warrants for
his arrest, were securing the city and
searching the vessels In the harbor for
the fugitive. Just before the Roanoke's
departure, it is said. II was discovered the
deputy marshal who searched the st.
Paul had been bribed and had accepted
$500 for conniving at Knights escape.
Indictments Are Probable.
II this is true the grand jury soon to
be called at Nome will indict Knight for
subornation of perjury and bribery and
compel him to return to Nome and face
the charges.
Nor will Knight stand alone in this
respect, II the stories told by the pas
sengers of the Roanoke are true. 1t Is
charged. they say. that w. II. Nelson,
also a prominent San Francisco lawyer, Is
equally guilty with his colleague knight
in the subornation OF perjury and that
he also will probably be required to
stand an investigation by the grand jury.
Metson is now I'm San Francisco, having
also taken the st. Paul.
The Nome Weekly News tells the story
of the alleged dark plot entered into by
knight and Nelson. together with the in
cidents leading up to its detection, devot-
ing the whole of its first page to the mat
ter and setting out In full copy OF the
false affidavit alleged to have been ac-
tually procured. The following is from
the News story:
Linked with the flight of Knight Is a
dark page in the mining litigation OF this
section. That page shows the most per-
sistent and dastardly attempt of recent
times to besmirch blacken and destroy
the character OF Hon. Arthur H. Noyes,
ond division of Alaska, the chief actors
and procurers being Knight and w. III.
Nelson. also a well-known attorney, of
San Francisco, who has been In Nome
this season and associated with knight
as counsel for the contesting mining COM
panies, the Wild Goose and the Pioneer.
THE story of the means used Is told
In the two affidavits which are printed
herewith. According TO these money has
been used freely. knight and Nelson
being the principal dsbursers. in order
to carry out their schemes and attain
their ends Marked gold coin was to be
used I'm an attempt TO corrupt Judge
Noyes. the object of which was to secure
his removal as district Judge. In addi-
ton to this an affidavit was secured BY
knight from one Frank p Reece, in
which Reece stated that he knew Judge
Noyes TO be corrupt, and that ne had
given Judge Noyes l7s ounces Of gold as
litigation.