Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-08-12

i
prised that statement was wished in
regard to the part he had taken in the
famous case the judge appeared re-
lieyed and even pleased. He said he
had been desirous for some time of
making an explanation of his grounds,
but urgent business and failing health
had deferred him. He at once set to
work and with his wife, who insisted
upon acting as his amanuensis. pre-
pared a statement of some length,
setting forth, so far as circumstances
would permit. the lines along which
he proposes to defend himself against
the charges made against him. His
version of the AFFAIR is as follows:
Trial Lasts Two weeks.
After a brief review of events pre-
ceding the hearing of the case before
him the Judge said: The trial lasted
about two weeks and at it's conclusion
the case was taken under advisement,
there being very many questions of
law to be determined and very
voluminous briefs having been filed
by the parties. After the trial of the
case and while it was being consider
ed by me it developed that had very
many friends among the parties in
terested with the plaintiff Before
had reached decision in the matter
my wife and l visited Missoula. a
pretty spot in Montana, in company
with a friend whose name L cannot
ut this time disclose, and while we
were together he approached US in
the name of ID. j. Hennessey, one Of
the managers in the Amalgamated
Copper corporation, and offered to
build us home and give me lease
on valuable mining property. We
heard the proposition, bus made no
answer TO it. knowing that there
would be further Developments.
There were other minor hints of
leases before / decided the, case which
| did against the corporation. believ-
ing that / decided justly aud honest
ly. In this connection will state in
Justice to the defense that after the
case had been submitted to me they
never made the slightest attempt to
influence my decision.
immediately after making the an
nouncement of my decision Iappeared
to fall from grace in the estimation of
the agents of the plaintiff, although 1
had been held in apparent respect by
began to be circulated that had been
Influenced in my course by woman
and even threats were made to me
that should be ruined and my fam
ily broken up il 1 did not give the
plaintiff new trial. 1t was init
mated that Heinze was the man the
corporation wished TO get at and if
stood in the way Of course would suf-
fer incidentally. My reply to them
was that 1 was there to do my duty
and had done it, and that | should at
tempt to allow neither threats nor
brides to influence me when the mo-
tion for a new trial came up for con-
sideration. Further offers of lease
were made me and it was pointed out
that one might be taken out in an
other name so that my identity would
not be known in that connection
The decision | was told was worth
quarter of million to the plaintiff.
my reason for refusing to make
deposition as requested concern
ing the reason for my action in the
case was that i had set the whole
matter forth at length in my opinion
and that further 1 did not consider
the courts subject to notaries public
NV position was maintained in the
courts. At this time the nature of
the affidavits being filed and the re-
ports being circulated W rried me to
such an extent as to tell upon nv
health and to greatly worry my wife,
who was then with her parents. Ny
physician told me must leave Butte
for a time on account of the rarity of
the atmosphere affecting me in my
nervous state, and / decided to come
to Illinois.
offered s2sO.OOO Bride
"On the evening preceding my de-
parture, after my intention had been
announced. was invited to visit the
Office of the leading counsel for the
plaintiff, where / found the leading
counsel and his assistants, the chief
of the detective bureau and two 9TH
ers. We had q stormy session, last
ing several hours. i was accused of
having been Influenced in my decision
by Mrs. Bracket. i was threatened
with arrest, with disbarment and with
impeachment il did not accept their
offer, which was this: They would
give me $3.50, 900 if / would make an
affidavit that Heinze had paid. or Of
fered to pay me money for my deci-
sion. | was advised that l might
take my family to Europe and enjoy
a good vacation and come back to
America and live where | pleased
in case and luxury. replied
that / did not want their money;
that such money would be a
curse rather than blessing and that
did not fear their threats for the
reason that they had no grounds
upon which to found them. They in
timated that they knew where such
evidence could be obtained, and gave
me the choice of either riches or ruin
able to procure it. While we were in
Mrs. Bracket was sent
for without my knowledge and told
that had agreed to resign and accept |
ha "a and tho nffQr 1