Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-10
DEFENDS MS COURSE
Judge Noyes Answers CHARGES
Against His Official Acts
at Nome. Alaska.
incidentally He Explains the
Chaotic Condition Of Affairs
in That Country.
Courts BesieSed on Every Hand
for Favors..The Gen.
eral News.

Washington, Aug. 1O.-The depart
ment OF justice has made public the an
swer of Judge Arthur H. Noyes to the
charges preferred against. him in the adj
ministration of his office OF United
States district judge at Nome. Alaska.
Judge Noyes details the story of his trip
to Alaska, giving an account of ac-
quaintances made upon that journey,
more particularly the acquaintance of
Messrs Mckenzie and Chips, who have
figured so largely in connection with the
charges against the judge, and denies
that he had any communication with
either of these gentlemen with respect
to the business of his court on his Jour-
ney, or at any other time. He takes UP
in detail the various charges against
him, and specifically denies each and
every allegation thereof. He describes
the chaotic conditions existing at Nome
at the time of his arrival, wherein, he
states he found in the neighborhood of
20,O00 people of all classes, and the ut
most confusion and disorder prevailing.
He sets out that every lot of ground in
the whole town had two or more claim
ants; that possession was held in great
many instances by armed force and that
he was beseged upon every hand imme-
diately upon his arrival by parties seek
ing relief against those whom they
claimed to be wrongfully and unlawful
ly in possession of their property di-
vesting it of value and shipping the pro-
ceeds out of the country and the juris.
aiction of the court. He then details
his efforts to organize his court and the
opportunities to which he was subjected
by litigants and counsel and describes
fayors that We're attempted to be thrust
upon him by solicitous individuals. He
recounts the circumstances under which
he appointed Alexander Mckenzie re-
ceiver of certain mining claims alleging
that it had not been prearranged that
Mckenzie should act az receiver, but
that McKenzie's name was suggested
along with others, to one of whom the
place had been rendered before it was
offered to Mckenzie. The judge reaf-
firms the wisdom of the choice and COM
pliments Mckenzie's administration of
the property. Defending his appoint
ment of a receiver for the placer mining
claims he denies that he first suggested
that remedy and justifies his action up
on the ground that there We're scattered
along the beach thousands of unem-
ployed men who had been allured to
Nome by the fabulous tales of wealth
which had been given out; that, these
men We're unemployed, without food or
money, and desperate, and that to have
closed down by injunction the operation
add largely to the number of unem-
ployed in the camp. He says that he
followed in this respect the presidents
established by former judges of the dis
trict of Alaska and adds copies of de-
cree in similar case. He admits that
| in most cases where he appointed re-
ceivers the representations made to the
court We're largely untrue as to the ca
! pabilities of the mines. This however,
was not determined until later and his
action was predicated upon the fairness
of the presentation of the cases. This
he says. accounted for the comparative
\ ly excessive expense of operation by the
receivers. He also claims that as an
additional precaution for the protection
| of the parties in interest, he required in
all cases, when either OF the parties re-
queSleu H. tHdt Tie 6oiu uust ieaii1eu
by the receiver should be deposited at
the safe deposit vault. not subject to
withdrawal except by order of the court
with notice to the parties interested, and
also that he further ordered in each
case when requested, that all parties
having any interest or claiming interest
in the property might at any time go
upon the property worked by the receiv-
err for the purpose of observing the
work, and might be present at each and
every cleaning up made by the receiver
and that he in every way possible tried
to throw every safeguard about the
property in the hands of the receiver,
|that2it might be conserved for the bene-
| fit of the party who might finally be adj
judged its owner.
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