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Show . II ' " 1 1 ! COURT SEVERELY LECTURES BOYS FROM MILFORD FILLMORE, June 3. Tuesday at 9 . o'clock was the time which the parties from Mllford who wrote the letter to - Judge Marioneux in reference to granting grant-ing a new trial In the case of the State against Henry Bowen was set for hearing. hear-ing. When their names were called all were present except one Burns, who was not found. Each one of the persons were called and sworn and questioned by th court, and all admitted signing the letter with the view of Influencing the 1 court Improperly, but that they now, after reflecting could see the demoralising influence in-fluence that such communications to a court might have If such were to be permitted per-mitted and promised never to offend in a like manner again. In summing up the matter the court said that he was "personally acquainted with most of the signers of the letter, and that he had no doubt that when they say they meant no contempt of the court that they speak the truth, and that he believed In signing the letter that they acted inconsiderately and without due re- flection as to the propriety of their conduct, con-duct, but that the answers they gave rendered ren-dered It unnecessary to advert upon the propriety of their act. He further said if he had received such a letter and said nothing about it and had afterwards granted a new trial in the Bowen case that the signers of the letter would have very reasonably concluded that their petition pe-tition had some Influence with the court in arriving at that decision. "And then knowing that this court had willingly received such a communication and had apparently acted favorably upon it and agreeably to the recommendations It contained, they would not be without Justification In assuming, when they should learn of other decisions of the court that such decisions had perhaps been Influenced or reached by the method by which the signers of this petition had adopted, and such an opinion being abroad in the community would bring the administration admin-istration of Justice into contempt. "And then," the Judge added, "in my opinion a Judicial officer who would receive re-ceive and act upon such communications would be acting corruptly, and that those who sought to Influence him by such means were really seeking to corrupt him, although he was compelled to believe be-lieve In this particular instance the signers sign-ers of this petition had no such Intention Inten-tion and had acted rather through ignorance ig-norance than bad motive. And that therefor he would not punish them, but warned them and all present that any such communication in the future would be treated with the utmost severity as a contempt of - the court and that the present experience of the signers of this petition and the publication of the views of the court on such a matter would be taken as a conclusive estoppel against any future plea of ignorance of the impropriety impro-priety of it" Thereupon the court with this warning dismissed the contemners without fine or imprisonment. The boys, seventeen 1n number of them, all went home this afternoon, aft-ernoon, feeling that they had picked up some valuable information, and pleased that they had, gotten out of it without a fin. I IIIIW |