Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-20
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orA Nrt1nS>aAss

HAVE been spending most OF the week in court
i in connection with a libel suit brought against
The Bee by a pair arrested for stealing a diamond
for which they afterwards paid in order TO get
away without prosecution. have had cases in court
from time TO time, as must every newspaper man
fearless to tell the truth and TO refuse TO sub
init to a shakedown, and must say that this trial
conducted in the best order OF any OF them.
cept possibly in being longdrawn out Credit for this
belongs in large part to Judge Graves, coming IN
from Fender to take the place OF Judge English whose
impressive manner and wde-awake conduct on the
bench may we'll be example for some Of our own
judges. and. mind you. am writing this before the
verdict in regardless OF what Il may be- The Judge
showed that bic talk and vocal waste OF time
by the lawyers be stopped without much diff
Guilty. IL amusing to hear him declare that while
that might be the custom here i'm the city II was
not tolerated up in the country where FROM"
with the further ironical suggestion that perhaps
time is more valuable up there than II is here in
Omaha"
I can't help seeing however, whenever I IN
court things that calculated clog rather than
expedite the wheels OF justice In the impannelllng
OF the Jury for example the attorneys for each side
examine the jurors at time. propoundIng many
OF the questions to which the answers mere
repettons why could not ell this stock Information
about where a juror resides. how long he has lived
here his present and previous occupation and all that
be given under oath and for all time and com
piled Immediately, that the attorneys would have
Il before coming into courtY And why could and
should not the Judge himself ask the jurors all to-
Eether the customary questions about knowing the
parties to the suit their attorneys. being pre-
JUDGED against any of them? II this done II
to me II would materially reduce the time con-
sumed in getting jury and in deprive any one
of any rights.
When II comes to the testimony Of the Witnesses
the outsider cannot but that the accepted rules
of evidence keep out much that the jury ought to
know. II the whole inception and inside Of this par
ticular case. know 1t. could be psraded before
the jury the collapse would have come almost at the
beginning. But "hear-say' testimony IL not admis-
slbenot in the face Of objection by alert lawyers.
During his closing argument Attorney Bronze made
this statement with great earnestness II have come
into this case. has been said here at late hour
because. and only because. convinced that the
cause OF this poor woman was just" When he said
that I could scarcely keep my face straight The
original attorneys in the evidently took II
contingent fee contract for they filed liens OF 800
the prospect. 1t happens that Harris dissatisfied
I'm the same way, went to another lawyer only
week two and sought to engage him TO help
out in the trial. offering lnducement 500 real
money. payment down. This lawyer did not see his
way clear TO take the retainer and then Bronze ap-
peared for the HARNESSES in court SOLELY because
WINGED that the cause of this poor woman just"
While sitting there, also wondered what would
have happened IL Judge Graves had been presiding
in court when these first up for there
were two OF Them brought IN the of the
man and the other in the name of the woman. and
OF them had been set by stipulation for trial last
November. When the day arrived and ready
with numerous witnesses. the attorney for the
plaintiffs raised terrific the stipulation.
insisting vociferously that II for the wofnans
and that no was there TO try her case, but
the mans Gaze. although the two substantially
identical The Judge then sitting said the best way
TO settle that question verify the stipulation,
which he did, finding It 20 be for the mans case.
but rather than try It, the attorney dismissed II himself
to get away from his own agreement Thereupon
announced 20 the court that ready to try
the woman's case she being present and Il after
wards turned out the only witness her sde but her
attorney who. few moments before. clamorlng
TO try that very Just outspoksn that
he not ready to try 1t and would try IT, No
other set for hearing at that time but under
tho circumstances. the judge declared he help
less TO require them proceed all the witnesses
Bluffs had 20 be sent back. wondering whether
wise have said he helpless against such practices
want to congratulate Brother Frank A. Kennedy
editor OF The Western LAborer the twenty~ftth
anniversary Of that sprightly weekly which now
a record OF longevity matched by few II any. labor
| papers. The special number he has gotten In
honor OF the svent Is than credtabe and makes
plain the pertinent fact that the change in cond
ton OF labor In Omaha wrought by the last twenty
five years far surpasses the widest dreams OF the
days when Tho Laborer made its initial appearance
II Is fervent wish. not only that The Laborer and
its editor make the for another twenty
five years. but that every time the balance
the condition Of the working classes here ia struck
| It may show like progress at even faster rate.
"