Evening journal., 1912-11-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Judge Unafraid
By Holland.


Il think without exception Judge
George Gould of the Supreme Court
Of the State Of New York was the
bravest man ever knew, although
he did not regard himself as very
brave" said the late Judge Noah
Davis, who was the Judge who tried
and sentenced William H. Tweed to
the penitentiary, at a time when
Judge Davis was speaking of some Of
the perils which Judge in New York
State, especially New York city, must
face in the performance OF his duty
Judge Could" Judge Davis con-
tinued, possessed great physical
strength, although he was not large
man. He practiced law for many
years in Troy and was elected a SUI
preme Court judge in the judicial
district of which Troy was at that
time the center.
About the beginning of our Civil
War a notorious desperate OF New
York city named Billy Mulligan was
arrested and indicted for keeping a
crooked gambling house. Multi
gan was really a dangerous character.
The police justices were afraid Of
him. His pals boosted that no police
Justice would dare TO hold him for
trial, and / think that statement was
true. At all events, he was arrested
upon a complaint made by the dis
trict attorney and not taken before
any police justice
There as considerable trepidation
among the judges of the courts Of
New York city whose jurisdiction COW
cred trials in felonious cases when
Mulligan's arrest became unknown. Il
was commonly believed that the Judge
who tried Mulligan would surely he
shot down, either in court room or
out of it. It was for this reason that
appeal was made to the State authori-
ties to select some justice for the
trial of the case who did not live in
/ New York city. lJulge Gould was
asked II he would be willing to go to
! New York and hold a term of Court
! OF oyer and Terminer. He replied
that he was perfectly willing.
He was told that the notorious
! desperate, Billy Mulligan, would be
brought to trial before that court
Well, If / sit, he will have fair
trial. Judge Gould said
50 But, judge, there are threats
that any judge who sits in this case
will be assassinated.
Il don't believe in threats,
| Judge Gould replied.
Judge Gould, when he opened his
court in New York city, was urged TO
have a special guard of court officers.
He would not permit it, He was ad-
vised to take a revolver with him to
court That he declined to do
I shall go back and forth from
my hotel to this court room unattend-
ed he said. l shall try this case
fairly. If the prisoner is found gull
", / shall sentence him to such a
term Of penal service as I think wise.
When the trial is over ! shall return
unattended to my hotel
Judge Gould did this desperate
very fairly The man was convicted.
Judge Gould sentenced him to a long
term in States prison. Then he adj
journed court and left the court room
looking neither to the right nor to the
the left, and walked unattended and
leisurely TO his hotel. ] have always
thought that it was this very display
OF courage which caused the pals OF
Mulligan to refrain from attempted
attack upon Judge Gould
Several years later ! told Judge
Gould that ] thought he had dis
PLAYED the very highest qualities OF
courage in the Mulligan case. because
he had faced real danger Of his life
fearlessly while engaged in his pro.
fessonal responsibilities.
" Nothing of the sort, Judge Davis,
he replied. 7 have heard people say
that / showed a great deal of courage
on that occasion. but I didn't. | hac
absolutely no sense Of fear. Where
there is no sense of fear there is nc
sense of danger. Courage is quality
which is evoked when there is ap
prehension OF danger and when. by
will power, that apprehension is con
Quered Furthermore. ! was satisfied
that IL anybody wanted to assassint'
me he would do IL whether / walked
back and forth from the court room
with or without a police guard. Mora
courage is a grand thing. Physica
courage is something chat ! believe t.
be overrated. But | had neither mora
nor physical courage at that time
since / was not in the slightest dc
gree apprehensiye of danger
Copyright. 1912, by r. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Ar Ir1,,-ardo will ell n