The Nome nugget., 1902-06-18
"TKE SENTENCE or HE COURT."

The NUGGET is frank to say that in, it's opinion Judge Wickersham committed in, finding Uarited States Marshal Richards and Joseph, D. Jourden guilty of contempt of the court. That repeated and intensified, when he delivered his second 'opinion, judgment and sentence" It is not an opinion that can be chased as dign6ed it par takes of the utterances of special peader than the dicta of judge delivered from the bench.
 The judge of the district court for the Second judicial division, in number of afiidayits, was charged with being biased and prejudiced, and a careful reading of his first opinion, wherein he ad- judged the defendants guilty of contempt, and,an equally carea perusal of his second opinion judg- ment and senence,' do not seem. if one may be per mitted to judge by the ''opinions" themselves and the language in which they couched, to convey contrary impression. The language used is not seemly. There is bitterness in t that is unmis- takable. Perhaps it was not so intended, but there it certainly is.
 Judge Wickersham seems to have been an, inter ested party in this suit, as was also the man who fills the position of district attorney The acquitta of Joseph H. Wright in Apr last charge o embedding moneys belonging to the United States while postmaster of Nome, seems to have ranked in the mind of the trial judge. It also to have affected the acting dissrct attorney. who it was openly charged then, and the charge has been re- peated many times since. failed to prepare his case and his presentation of it to the jury such, the jurors aver, that jury with due regard to their oaths could return other than verdict of not guilty
 In our opinion the statements made by the prose cutting attorney and by the court that Marshal Richards aided and conspired with Joseph D. Jour den and Joseph H. Wright. or with any else, t1 secure jury composed of Wrisht's friends is the veriest nonsense and is not borne out by any cred be evidence whatsoever introduced by the prosecu ton during the trial of the contempt The tria judge assumes to think differently, but submit with what deierence may, that humble citizen has the right to differ from the opinion of even learned judge.
 The NUGGET does not wish to mince matters There is such thing even in Alaska as having the courage of ones convctions. For three years o, thereabouts the writer has been engaged in conduct ing newspaper in Nome. He has always tried tt stand for what is right and just and honest for 'a that goes to the upbuilding of this young common wealth. This has been done consistently without fear, favor hope of reward save that which comes from doing what is right.
 There have been many things in the administra ton of justice in Northwestern Alaska which wer. grievously wrong and which are to be depored, bu there is nothing, to our mind, more regrettable thar this latest instance of what believe to be gross miscarriage of justice and grave judicial It, tt us, is garngly evil With nall due respect to tn, district court as at present constituted, we may b. permitted to state our belief that United States Mar ehal Richards is more guilty of the quasi-crimina crime of which the court has fit to convict hin than is the court himself MT. Richards has beer marshal of this district for more than a year past During that time he has, in the estimation of ninety per cent of the people of this judicial division, provee himself faithful, efficient and panstaking official He has taken great pride in the conduct of his oic and in the strict performance of every duty his off cal and personal records clean in the eyes of tn people; he stands unmreached in the minds of th great ajority of his fellow citizens notwithstanding the judgment and sentence the temporary judge c the district court has pronounced upon him. It ma be that in the eyes of the national administration hi character will be blacksned and his reputation de stroyed but in the eyes of his fellow citizens 0 Northwestern Alaska who know him and who valu faithful, honest fair and impartial administration of official duties, free from petty spite and withou