Arizona republican., 1902-05-28


 against the company. he said he had heen informed by attorneys that ne had a right to the water. The judge quick ly sWnug around in his chair and hurriedly asked: Whats that? What did your lawyers tell you?' The wit ness repeated his statement and the judge asked with eageIness when he had been told so. MT. Slosser replied that it vas about two months ago: that not onls his attorneys had told him so but that other lawyers with whom lio had talked about it. Two months ago was before the issuance ot the order which had been violated. The court settled back in his chair and the eXadl- nation proceeded.
 The examination having been con- cluded Judge StilWell recommended his clients to the leniency of the court. He roasted the water company and espe- cially the general manager on account of what he described as his flippant manner on the stand. manner out of harmony with the serious situation of the farmers who had been driven and 1 trapped into the breaking Of the head gates.
 i The most effective speech of the day was delivered by Mr Slossar. He de scribed the early settlement of the val i ley and of his purpose in coming here i to build home. There was plenty of 1 water then. but Indian raids had to be WithstCod and the settlers had to un- dargG the discomf0rts of the frontier. ! All these were at length overcome and the community was prosperous until | the corporations, which he described as parasites. began to absorb the water. l The fields since then had been gradual ! ly drying up year by year. And now. | your Honor" said he. T am driven to 1 poverty and despair. The speaker said he had never before been before a court as Q defendant. Now after all the miseres he had endured his mis- fortunes were to be crowned by incar- ceration in the jail. "Contempt of court" said MT. Slosser, In this case is misnomer. We Lave not been wanting in respect for this honora ble court. but We have been obliged to disObey it's orders that our cattle might not @un'cr.'
 During his address MT. Slosser was | frequently interrupted by his attorney. fearful pernaps that he would say something that ought to remain unsaid. But he was given thes closest atten- ticn by the court and the crowd in the | court room was moved 10 sylnpa thy. Then came the passing of the juds ment.
 Addressing the prisoners. Judge Kent in kindly but firm tones said Tt is not necessary fer the court to say very 1 much. 1 have cndeaVored to express to you during the course of this trial my views of this matter. As l haze said, I feel 2 great deal of synpa thy fcr the position you are in with regard to your farms. your stock, the l2Cil of water and the inability to get it. It is . most serlous question that We have in this Valley-a question that is becoming more serious every day. ss to the water supply, and how 1t is tu be distributed. You gentlemen believe that you nave certain rights to this water. It lna5' very well be that you have rights. but those lights have Hot been establish -ti. T. you have rients to the water, you have a tribunal given to you by our laws wherein those rights can be en- forced. and that is the proper place to make application for the enforcement of those rights. You cannot take into your own hands the enforcement of such rights.
 If you have right to this water so have other people in this valley If
 
 can go upon the canal and manage it and open head gates to suit himself, it is perfectly easy to see what the result will be. if every person claiming rights to this water can, simply by asserting that he has such rights, go and take the water what is the end to be? Sim ply anarchy in the valley. If there was no other reason public policy could not allow yOn to Go that. Now. the facts in these cases are these: An iniunc- ton was obtained, restraining you from Interfering with the headgates. In- reference was made some time ago, the headgatea broken, and two of your nUlnber were cited before the court charged With contempt of cont. It is not . question of the dignity of this court being assailed. It is not ,iues- ton, I think, Of contempt for the c0ui t as q court. It is d question whether law and order are to prevail, whether the orders of the court are to be obeyed ard carried out. NOW, those orders have net been carried out you men have Wilfully disobeyei it several times two of your number were called be- fore the couft some time ago for that contempt and the court dealt very len ietnly with them imposing a fine but 1tif lG-tilIS ll9 Day llltllt, gnu tQLl4ilAL l. ing that the fines never would be col lettad so long as the acts were not le- peated. All of you knew of that case. and in spite Of the fact that the court stated that everything done in the past would be overlooked, and that only acts done in the future would be taken notice Of. you gentIemen-suffering for water to be sure, and believeing that you had rights-HeVertheless again vio- lated that injunction. It shows that you intended to so ahead and break the headg;, tes in spite of the injunction Of the court.
 "Gent.cmen, that sort of thing cannot be allowed to go on. The question now raised is whether We are to have !t W and order in this valley, whether the decrees of the court are to De carried out. If you are permitted to violate an Injunction now. and rights are harsaf- ter decreed to you, the canal com pauy
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