Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches; To Which Is Added the Story of His Attempted Assassination by a Former Associate on the Supreme Bench of the State eBook

George Congdon Gorham
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 412 pages of information about Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches; To Which Is Added the Story of His Attempted Assassination by a Former Associate on the Supreme Bench of the State.

Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches; To Which Is Added the Story of His Attempted Assassination by a Former Associate on the Supreme Bench of the State eBook

George Congdon Gorham
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 412 pages of information about Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches; To Which Is Added the Story of His Attempted Assassination by a Former Associate on the Supreme Bench of the State.

During the remarks of Mr. Field, Judge Turner said that it was useless to say more, as the mind of the court was made up.  I think Mr. Field then offered to read from the Statutes, whereupon Judge Turner ordered him to take his seat, and that a fine of two hundred dollars be entered up against him, and that he be imprisoned eight hours or thereabout.  Mr. Field replied, “Very well.”  Then Judge Turner said, fine him three hundred dollars and imprison him—­I do not remember the precise time—­but think it was twenty-four hours.  Mr. Field made some quiet reply—­I think it was “Very well;” whereupon the fine was increased to four hundred dollars and the imprisonment made something longer.  I think Mr. Field said something about his rights at the bar, and I think he appealed to the members of the bar.  Then Judge Turner became quite furious, and in loud and boisterous language ordered the fine to be five hundred dollars and the imprisonment to be forty-eight hours, and ordered the sheriff to take him out of court.  He was boisterous, and several times ordered the sheriff to take him out; to summon a posse; to summon the court, and he would turn him out.

Q. Did you see anything disrespectful in the manner, or hear anything disrespectful in the language of Mr. Field which occasioned the fine and imprisonment?

Ans.  I did not.

Q. Did Mr. Field, in consequence of the order of Judge Turner, leave the court-room in company with the deputy sheriff?

Ans.  He left in company with the deputy sheriff, and I suppose it was in consequence of the order of Judge Turner.

Q. Was the trial of Cameron against Sutter proceeded with after Mr. Field left?

Ans.  It was.

Q. Who took the place of Mr. Field after he left?

Ans.  John V. Berry, Esq.

Q. Were you in court on the 10th day of June?

Ans.  I was.

Q. Were any members of the bar expelled by Judge Turner on that day?  And if so, please state who they were and whether they were in court at the time, and whether or not the order was made upon a hearing of the parties.

Ans.  There were three persons expelled, to wit:  S.J.  Field, S.B.  Mulford, and J.O.  Goodwin.  I do not recollect whether the parties were all in court at the time.  I am sure that Mr. Goodwin was in court.  There was no hearing had to my knowledge.

Q. After the order imprisoning Mr. Field, on the 7th of June and before the 10th, were any steps taken by Mr. Field to be discharged on a writ of habeas corpus?

Ans.  There were, and Mr. Field was discharged by the Judge of the County of Yuba.

Q. What was done by Judge Turner with Judge Haun, the County Judge, in consequence of his discharging Mr. Field from imprisonment on the writ of habeas corpus?

Ans.  Judge Haun was fined fifty dollars by Judge Turner and ordered to be imprisoned forty-eight hours.  This was on the 10th of June, at the same time that the other gentlemen were expelled from the bar.

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Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches; To Which Is Added the Story of His Attempted Assassination by a Former Associate on the Supreme Bench of the State from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.