The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-10-15
GOV. D|SM|SSfS
| ACTION AGAINST
JUDGE MURRAY

A REVIEW OF THE TESTIMONY
IN SENSATIONAL HEARING
/ AGAINST WARD COUNTY
& JUDGE - STATEMENT FROM
ATTORNEY FOR DEFENSE.
The action commenced by five resi-
dents Of Ward county against Judge
William Murray, an official of Ward
county for over twenty years and at
the present time judge of the county
court, has been dismissed by Governor
Hanna.
The object of the proceeding was to
remove Judge Murray from Office, on
the ground Of misconduct. The basis
Of the action was largely, if not en-
tirely, certain accusations made by
one Anna Corser who has been more
or less in the lime light of Minot's
police courts for the past three or four
years.
Y The woman in the case charged, in
the sworn complaint filed with the
Governor, that Judge Murray had
been guilty of subornation Of per-
Jury. She claimed in her sworn
abatement that she had made certain
affidavit at the solicitation of Judge
Murray setting forth facts which
were false.
On the witness stand, before the ref
cree, and while under oath, she stated
that she had made no such affidavit
but had made written statement of
Certain facts which were false. This
admission on her part disposed Of the
Esubornation charge as matter of
law.
II 1t was not claimed that the affidavit
was material to any inquiry then
pending before any tribunal in this
state or that she did swear to the af-
fidavit, that the person swearing her
to the same had any authority to do
SO, or that the affidavit was to be used
for any purpose whatsoever.
Il AS matter of law there were no
facts warranting ascharge of suborna-
tion of perjury, yet the woman in the
case made the charge under oath, and
under oath disproyed it. AS matter
Of law, Judge Murray was never
charged legally with this offense and
undoubtedly this feature of the case
Was disposed Of by the Governor on
the testimony of the woman making
the accusation.
Judge Murray was also charged
with attempting to bribe witness.
There was absolutely no legal evi-
dence to support this charge and un-
doubtedly the woman's story was man.
ufactured out of whole cloth, with the
assistance of a few of Judge Muir
rays political enemies who were so
careless of the rights of the accused
as to make no preliminary investiga-
ton of the woman's assertions to as
certain whether or not the statements
made by her contained a semblance Of
truth.
The other charge remaining was a
charge of misconduct on the part of
the Judge in his private life.
The woman claimed that certain
relationship existing between herself
and the accused was incompatible
with her duties as the wife of another.
She practically made this charge
against every official in Ward county
and against practically every mem.
Der of the police force Of the city OF
Minot, and also against numerous bus
mess and professional men Of Minot,
and particularly against those who
had attempted to check her well ad-
vanced dissolute career. q.
It was contended by the defend
ants attorneys that Judge Murray's
private life and his conduct in private
matters was of no concern to the pub
lie and that these charges, even if
true, were not grounds for removal,
but Judge Murray insisted that he be
given public hearing and that the
woman's story be told in public. In
other words the Judge refused to take
advantage of technical rules Of law
and stated that inasmuch as the
charges had been made public that it
should be threshed out in public
where everybody could hear. He fur
ther stated that any woman could
make a similar charge against any
Judge or officer of the state and there
was nothing in his private life that
could not be aired in court Of law
and that he was quite willing to pre-
sent his defense on the merits.
The woman's story developed q
series Of absurd falsehoods during the
long and sensational trial and before
CllO OS1CIlSc PuG III ally GSoVAAAAOAyst aD0.
fore she had finished she attempted
to implicate everybody connected with
the trial in amorous adventures, with
herself as the irresistible and seduc-
tive charmer, and while on the stand
disclosed perverted sex instinct such
as is seldom exhibited in public.
She admitted that she had been the
mother Of bastard in her youth, the
father being the son Of her employer,
and that she was familiar with all de-
partment store vices peculiar to such
cities as New York, Boston and Phila-
delphia. It was also put in the record
by the defendants witnesses that she
was addicted to the use Of cocaine and
was known to her friends as "snow-
bird" and an habitual user Of 4shappy-
dust.
While on the stand she used the
and vernacular known only
to the underworld, and some Of her
expressions were even new to the
tenderloin Of Minot, but quite common
to the larger vice districts.
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