Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-05-05
Many incidents Surround the
Close Of Impeachment
Case
Roll Call Was ComIeted Quick.
er Than Expected
Members in Session as the
Senate for Two Hours

Senate for Two Hours
Judge John F. Cowan, triumphan
before the senate of the state OF Mort
Dakota in the famous Impeachment
case brought to such a sudden tel
mination yesterday afternoon, is thi
afternoon again returning to his HON
at Devils Lake, leaving Bismarck, tn,
scene of such an eventful period II
his life as is experienced by few
men, at 2:13 today. He will reacl
Devils Lake tomorrow morning short
ly after ten o'clock, accompanied b!
a party of friends who have been will
him in Bismarck for a portion of the
lengthy trial, and by his leading coun
sci, Tracy r. Bangs, and there prep
arations have already been made, &C
cording to information received in
Bismarck, 20 give him a royal recipe
ton.
Cowan Returns to District
Exculpated at the hands OF the
court OF impeachment, before which
he has so long stood under accusa'
tions harsh and severe, serious, if
founded on fact, to the administration
OF justice, John F. Cowan returns to
again preside as Judge over the dis
trict that he has served ten years,
with the present term of office expir-
ing January 1, 1913. Judge C. w.
utts,, appointed by Governor Burke
about March l, Immediately after
Judge Cowan had been impeached by
the house OF representatives, and
acting pending the decision of the
case before the senate, ceased to
serve in that position at 4:25 yester.
da" afternoon, that being the time
that President Burdick called upon
Judge Cowan and announced to him
that the solemn high court of i'm.
t,cacl:ment lad declared him not gull
ty If c2ch and every one of the
charges ard specifications cont aimed
in the articles of impeachment. and
that stood acquitted.
A Great Demonstration.
For moment the crowds in the
galleries and foyers OF the senate
chamber remained quiet, expectent,
and then burst forth in cheers which
fairly shook the building. President
Burdick vainly brought his gavel to
the desk time after time for order,
but without avail Judge Cowan,
standing for few moments as the
demonstration opened, quickly re.
sumed his chair, covering his face
with his hands as the crowd cheered
on. At his side was Tracy Bangs,
and few minutes later as friends
passed by them. offering to one con-
gratulations upon his acquittal and
to the other congratulations for the
excellent and successful fight that he
had made for his friend,' as he has
been wont to speak of the accused
jurist. There was just faint sus.
picion of moisture about the eyes of
both. The fight was over and Judge
CoWan had been declared not guilty.
Voting Was Done Quickly.
BY contrast the period of voting
yesterday afternoon when the I'M
parchment court made its decision in
the famous case, the session stands
strangely as against many of those
occurring since March %, when the
state senate convened for the purpose
of trying the case. Contrary to expec-
tatiOns, the calling of the roll pro-
gresed rapidly, only two hours and
forty minutes being required to call
seventy'nine rolls and record the vote
Of each individual member. The end
came unexpectedly sudden to all, as
there had been every reason to be-
lieve that this portion of the proce.
dure would be slow and deliberate.
and marked with frequent Interrupt.
tions by reason of anticipated ex-
plantations Of votes. Not one explana.
ton of vote was made by any sen.
ators during the entire afternoon so !
far as determining the guilt of the
accused was concerned.
Court Dissolved at e:25 p. m.
Features incident to the close of the
trial were numerous, these coming i'm.
nediately after the vote of not guilty
had been announced, and during the
evening session. It was not until 1925
o'clock that the court of impeachment
was dissolved, and it was fully two
hours afterwards before the state sen.
NC ouJouI ACu olAC Vic, IuuS OulCldlN
the thirteenth assembly of
he state.
General Vote Turned Down.
When the short recess that had
'een declared by President Burdick
lfter the vote had been concluded
vas over, and court again went into
ession, Senator Simpson moved that
here be general vote of the senate
m each of the charges in FULL with
tut regard as to individual specifica-
IONS Hereunder. and after the senate
lad cast such vote on the habitual
charge, the idea was
!bandoned on the ground that there ,
vas no further reason for such &C.
ion, the respondent having already
'een acquitted. r
Jacobson Wants a Roll Call.
Senator Jacobson was insistent in
lis demands for such a roll call, and I
ook serious issue with President Bur. I