FORUM
(OFFICIAL PAPER)
FORUM PUBLISHING COMPANY
James B. Wingate, Editor and Manager
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1904.
Judge wickersham has in many ways
shown his disqualifications for the po
sition of judge of the district court.
The mere fact of possessing a good ed
ucation, ah eloquent flow of language,
and a political pull, 'Should not fully
- qualify a man for such a responsible
position. A righteous judge would not
use his judicial power to trample jus
tice and thie people’s rights under foot.
A virtuous judge would not prostitute !
• the office to satisfy the filthy desires of j
a corrupt political mind. Judge Wick
ersham demonstrated how his political
and financial desires influence and con
trol his actions, by his attempted man
ipulation of the last Federal grand-jury
at Rampart. This mode. of procedure
to protect corruption existing among
his appointees and henchmen, couid not
reflect credit on any man. The part
. played by Deputy-marshaPGeorge Drej
belbis, in this act, publicly places that
corrupt official where he .properly be
longs.
The eloquent speech made by Judge
Wickersham to that grand-jury, when
he presented to them the affidavits filed
in the District court against Commis
sioner J. Lindley Green, was a master
ly effort. The people realized that the
eloquence was for the purpose of creat
ing a favorable impression on the sen
ators who were present at the time.
The members of the senate committee,
later on, became acquainted with some
of Judge Wickersham's treachery. As
an example of judicial misuse of power
the following facts are given: In April
1903, Jack Mennis and Harry Raymond
alias Little,, were arrested at Rampart,
„ charged with the theft of gold-dust val
ued at $1445 from the Eagle Mining Co
at Glen gulch. The preliminary hear
ing before the commissioner resulted in
the charge against Mennis being sus
tained. He was held to await the act
ion of the grand-jury under $2500 bonds,
but being unable to furnish the bond,
he was committed to jail.
The charge against Raymond was dis
missed, and he was held as a witness
for the prosecution under $1500 bonds
Raymond was unable to furn'sh the
bond, so he also went to jail. The grand
jury convened in July, 1903, and found
a true bill against Mennis. He was im
mediately tried, under this indictment,
in the District court before a trial jury
The same evidence, verbatim, was in
troduced at this trial, as was adduced
before the commissioner and the grands
jury. There ^was no evidence for the
defense except the defendant's state
ment. After the testimony for both
prosecution and defense had been heara
by the jury and the court, Judge Wick
ersham ordered the jury, without leav
ing the jury-box, or deliberating on the
case, to choose one member to act as a
foreman, and sign the verdict of ‘‘not
guilty, ’ ’ which the court had prepared.
The jury hesitating to comply with the
request, Judge Wickersham, calling on
one of the jurors by name, ordered him
to step forward and sign as forman the
prepared verdict lying on the judge’s
desk.
The jnror stepped forward and signed
as ordered. Judge Wickershan then ui
dered the defendant discharged from
custody.' Mennis upon gaining his lib
erty, secured the stolen gold-dust, with
the aid of an assistant, from where he
had cached it, on the trail between Glen
and Rampart. Then he proceeded to
St. Michael, arriving there about the
Bame time as Judge Wickersham. This
cost the gavernment $1200, and the re
sidents of this precinct know the farci
cal judicial manipulation turned loose
upon the people two educated criminals.
If the actions of the commissioner
and the grand-jury, in the Mennis case,
were on the line of justice, why did not
Judge Wickersham foster the cause by
permitting the trial jnry to deliberate
and return their own verdict, in accord
| ance with the law and the evidence be
| fore them? Because a man is investea
with judicial powers, is .no reason why
he should satisfy personal feelings, and
strain that power to the utmost limit to
shield a criminal, and obstruct the ad
ministration of justice. ,
Such judicial interference often com
pels the people to take the law into
their own hands to protect their pro
perty. Harry Raymond, upon the dis -
charge of Mennis, received his fees as
a restrained witness since April, and
after declaring that Deputy-marshal
George Dreibelbis was his particular1
friend, proceeded to Circle City. At
jQircle Raymond sand-bagged and rob
bed a man; was arrested, tried before
the commissioner, and sentenced to
ei ht months imprisonment. Raymond
immediately broke jail at Circle, and
coming direct to Rampart, favored hie
friend, Deputy-marshal George Drei
belbis, with his patronage as a govern- '
ment boarder for eight months, at $3
per day. Deputy George Dreibelbis re
ceived $1400, from the government, for
boarding Mennis and Raymond, during
this official four act drama. The facts
peraming to our corrupt administration
as published by the Forum, are true
acts of public officials, and as such be
long to the people. They are published
for the purpose of showing the incon
petency of such officials, and the in -
portance of their not. being retained in
office.
The people at large, upon hecoming
familiar with Judge Wickerham’s re
gime in this division, can judge for
themselves as to the justice of the filing
of a protest against his re-appointment.
When public officials practice corrup
tion, they soon weave about themseh -
es a network of infamy detrimental to
the interests of all law-respecting men.
CTW—1
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