Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-08-02

0OW hdVS lAo III SAtY Edileu.
1t is sad duty to comment upon
loss OF reputation OF any individual
especially OF those in the prime Of
life, whose days have been full Of
honor and crowned by the highest
awards OF successful career. The
decent seems to tie only the deeper
and more complete from the cminence
of the principal in instances of such de.
pravity, exposed OF sudden to the
glare OF public censure.
/ Although, since the mmencement
OF Judge SCOTS downfall, there are
some wiseacres in this community
who now boast that they have all
along known ui the uncleanness OF the
whited >epulchre." while lie was
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
and that they might relate several es-
capades Of like nature OF the rape OF
a girl only Is years OF age, as has been
charged against him by the guardian
Of poor Minna Schaefler, at What
com, this week; the fact that they
allowed knowledge of such acts to re-
main under cover, seems quite sufficient
to make them sharers in the infamy
which attaches to a betrayal of inno-
cence and the ruin of life of hui
man being. Ii it be true that the
Judge is the moral leper that his be.
travail OF child has shown him to be, it
was the duty of anybody and every
body wearing the human form having
knowledge of his misdeeds to have
denounced him, as protection to
society from his own acts as we'll as
to deter by example.
There can be little if any doubt OF
the ex-Judge's culpability, from the fol.
lowing statement, signed by twelve
citizens of Whatcom, and sent to the
press LOT puDllCatlOn:
1.-THE information against Judge Scott
was filed in the Superior Court of this
county Thursday morning, July %, 1901.
Notwithstanding the fact not a single
word touching the arrest has appeared
in the public prints. The news spread
like wildfire and within few hours
there was scarcely citizen in the city
who had not heard of the most sensa-
tiOnal crime that has ever been commit
ted in the Pacific Northwest. Ii thun-
derbolt out of the clear sky had razed
every building in the city to earth it
would not have created more excitement
than the arrest Of Judge Elmon Scott,
who has served term of eight years
upon the bench of the Supreme Court as
chief justice, but who was here charged
with rape. Minna Schaeter, the girl in
the case, is an orphan, ID years old, liv-
ing with her stepfather, an honest and
industrious citizen, who conducts a gro.
Gerry store on Eldridge avenue. On Sun
day, July 21, Mr.. Lemm, the guardian
of the girl, in the presence of several
citizens of this city, stated that he had
been suspicious for some time that Judge
Scott was paying undue attention to his
ward-but still Mr.. Lemm could not re-
alize that a person of such high standing
in the city and State would be guilty OF
such a crime. Finally chain OF start
ling circumstances arose and the girl
confessed to her step.parents that Judge
Scott had carnally known her on several
occasions during the past year. Mr..
Lemm, as well as every other citizen of
the city, is deeply in sympathy with the
family of the accused man-but the facts
are of such nature that Mr.. Lemm,
who is the guardian of the child, felt
compelled to lay the matter before the
attorney with the results stated above,
and when Judge Scott appeared before
the Superior Court he waived examina-
ton and gave bail in the sum of 81, QUO
in cash. Mr.. Lemm is anxious to have
the facts regarding the case published,
as it has been rumored that he is willing
to settle the case with Judge Scott for a
monetary consideration. Mr.. Lemm
acknowledged that different persons had
approached him with a view of settling
the case out of court. When asked il
any influence could be brought to cause
him to withdraw the case he answered
most emphatically, No! want to see
justice donep"