Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-21
Adjudged Guilty of Contempt; Has
Option of $500 OF as Many
Days.
He ELECTED TO PAY THE FINE.
Man Found Guilty of Attempting to
influence Jurors is Sharply
Brought Up Standing,


Stewart, for his conduct In approach
ing three Of the jurors in a case In
which he was interested and attempt-
ing to give them some information In
the case which was noe in evidence.
and was sentenced by the court to pay
n fine of 5000 on serve term Of 200
days in the county jail in default of
such fine. The seriousness OF the Of
Tense in the eyes Of the court IL very
evident from the fact that the sentence
imposed is the maximum penalty which
can be imposed for such an offense.
Mr. sreifel will pay the fine this az
ternoon.
When the matter was called up, the
clerk read the anidavits Of Jurors Nc
Carick, Hampton and knight, maxi
ing the charges against Steifey, which
have appeared heretofore IN these coll
umns,
sTEIFELs VERSION.
Mr. Seifel was then called to the Wit
ness stand and examined by Attorney
George L. Nye v no appeared in his
behalf He said that he was only at
the trial Of the case Of Jane Rocca vs.
the Utah Savings q Trust company,
administrator Of the estate OF Daniel
). Davidson, deceased. In which case
this matter arose, for very few min
utes on the morning Of Oct Is, and was
there again about 4 o'clocK IN the af.
ternoon and testified in behalf of de-
PENDANT. lie then walked up State
street with Jurors Hampton and knight
and told them that he had been work
ing on the books Of Mr.. Davidson and
that II all the facts were brought out
there would be nothing to plaintiff
claim.
DISPUTE STARTED TT.
That evening he said a dispute arose
at his home In regard to the testimony
OF Mrs. Jones, who was a witness in
the case, and he decided to call at MIR.
McCarricks home and find out about
the testimony. He admitted the
conversation as set forth in
Mr.. McCarrlcks affidavit, hut
denied that he turned when leaving
the house and told Mr.. McCarrick that
he had seen other Jurors about the case,
He said further that he had no lnten-
ton to attempt to influence the Jurors
verdict and did not attempt to state
facts which did not appear in evidence
AZ the trial.
CLEMENCY ASKED.
Mr. McCarrick was then called to the
witness stand and informed the court
that he had nothing TO say further than
that the affidavit set out the facts,
Atty, Nye then made an appeal for
leniency on behalf OF the witness. He
stated that technically the witness was
guilty Of contempt yet II was certainly
not his intention to commit the Of
Tense and he did not know that he was
committing an oifense. He said that
Steifel has never served as n Juror and
Is not acquainted with the admontion
given Jurors by the court concerning
conversation with outsiders about the
cases before them and hence did not
know he was committing an offense.
Mr. Nye had city Treas, Morris, II.
NJ, Friedman and |, ~ Lewis eXamin-
ed as to Steifers character and stand
ing In the community All testified
that his reputation was good in every
respect, Mr., Nye then appealed to the
court to be lienient with the witness In
view of his good character I'm the COM
munity and the fact that he had no in
tent TO commit the offense and I'm view
already been severe one TO him.
JUDGE SUMS UP CASE.
Judge Stewart, after stating the mat
ters set ont in the allidavits of the jur-
ors, said that none of the material al
Legations had been denied by Mr. Stei-
fel. and the fact that he went to the
home OF the juror and asked to speak
to him about the case after having al
ready talked with the other two jurors,
was conclusive TO the court that he
intended to influence him in his YER
dict, He, therefore, adjudged the wit
ness TO be I'm contempt of court In
passing sentence Judge Stewart said
that II was regrettable that the young
man was placed in such a position, but
the offense was one. not against the
personality of the court but against
the court itself and should be punish
ed accordingly. He then passed SEN
tence on Steifel as stated above.