The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-05-14

ISiIcl ny ScIIiuS COiICStiOA Hull SAtSi
Justice Fuller, and then by getting
Judge Simonton to go to Raleigh and
undo Purnell's doings.
end. He issued a contempt ruling
and adjudged a man guilty of contempt
for criticising his official conduct. This
man was deprived of his liberty
made a prisoner-for doing what any
American citizen has a constitutional
right to do, a right without which this
government would degenerate into an
out n out despotism.
"3rd. Having a spite against a cei-
tain lawyer. a spite which he express
ed frequently to many men, (this law
yer representing the plaintiff in an i11-
portant case), the judge stepped up on
the bench on a certain morning, a. 10
o'clock. Seeing that the lawyers for
the plaintiffs were not in court. the
! Judge called the case by it's name. He
| said: is the plaintiff ready for trial?'
The plaintiffs lawyers Tot being, for
the moment. in court, there was no
A10P"AAoSs 10 tHS "a .
said the Judge. The defendants law
yers happening to be present, answer
ed that they were ready. Then the
judge said to the clerk, Enter up a
judgment against the plaintiff" Be-
fore he got the words Well out of his
mouth the plaintiffs lawyers appeared
The evidence is that not three minutes
had expired from the moment that the
ment that the judge went on the bench
to the moment that the plaintiffs at
tOrneys appeared at the bae. They
asked that the judgment be stricken
out; they reasoned and begged and
Explained that there was really no de-
lay, that the defendants were not p,e-
JUDGED by the two minutes delay and
that their clients should not be thus
denied the right to a trial of the cause.
Purnell refused to listen to them, sign
ed the judgment and directed execu-
ton against men whose right to q
hearing he had ruthlessly and malJc-
iously denied. The plaintiffs we're
compelled, at much expense, to apply
to the circuit court of appeals, the
judges of which were shocked and in
dignant at the mere recital of the
facts. One of them, Judge Golf, came
all the way to Wilmington for the n
purpose of repairing the wrong. And
this is the judge who sets cases for
certain hours and hen WaltZes Off
to the sound to fill himself with oys-
tiers, and never ono apologies or
explains to the lawyers and parties
whom he has insulted, and, wrapping
himself in the mantle of his infalli-
biIity, says, as Boss Tweed says: What
are you going to do about it?
"4th. This judge is paid a great
salary, upon the assumption that ne is
to try cases and administer federal
laws. The court at Wilmington is
fixed by law to begin On Monday. Hs
shows up on Tuesday! This is ncs
what he may have done once or twice,
but it is a habit-a habit that has no
breaks. He opens his court about 10
o'clock Tuesday. He sits there a little
over three hours-cal1 it -four hours.
He leaves the bench and spends the
rest Of the "a hours in inane idleness.
The witnesses, the litigants, the jurors
the lawyers and the people having bus
mess with the court must hang around
and wait until His Highness shows Up
next day; and SO, from day to day.
The state judges, when holding court,
work on an average of hardly less than
ten hours a day. Many of them sit for
seven or eight hours in the day and
then hear cases al night. They are
paid much less than half the compen-
sation of the federal judge. The judges
ma, during the sessions of the court,
work harder than any field hand in
the state. The state judges work about
ten months in the year, besides more
or less chambers work during the other
two months. Judge Seymour, of this
same United States district, sat here
at Wilmington for seven, eight and
ten hours a day. Judge Simonton,
whenever he held courts at circuit, did
likewise.
18th. Terms of the United States
court are fixed by law for twice a year
at Raleigh, Wilmington, New Bern,
and Elizabeth City. The purpose of
the law is to have the judge go to these
cities at stated intervals and try the
cases on the dockets of the courts.
Otherwise the people Of half the state,
with a population of about one million.
would be compelled to go to the judge.
This particular judge resides in Ra-
leigh. He from the bench
that he will not call the Equity docket
Or the Admiralty docket at WHINING