121 F. 209 | 9th Cir. | 1902
Lead Opinion
The affidavit upon which the order to show cause was directed to Arthur H. Noyes charges that on July 23, 1900, said Arthur H. Noyes, as judge of the District Court of Alaska, Second Division, at Nome, Alaska, signed an order in the action entitled Chipps v. Lindeberg et al., appointing Alexander McKenzie receiver of property described in the complaint, which consisted of a placer mining claim, and enjoined the defendants, who were then in
Of the evidence which was taken upon the issue raised by the answer of Arthur H. Noyes to the order to show cause, a large proportion consists of testimony concerning the attitude of the judge toward the litigation then pending before him in the cases which are hereinafter referred to, as well as in other cases in which McKenzie was receiver or was interested. Much of it tends strongly to show the existence of a criminal conspiracy between some of these respondents and McKenzie and others to use the court and
Judge Noyes arrived at Nome on July 19, 1900, in company with other officers of his court, and in company with Alexander McKenzie. Prior to going to Nome, McKenzie had been engaged in organizing the Alaska Gold Mining Company, a corporation, for the purpose of engaging in mining at Nome, and in that connection had made the acquaintance of O. P. Hubbard, a member of the'firm of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume, attorneys at Nome, Alaska. On the day of his arrival at Nome, McKenzie went to the office of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume, and had an interview with Mr. Hume, in which he told the latter that Hubbard had transferred to him, McKenzie, his interest in the litigation which involved the right of possession of the Anvil Creek mining claims, and that Hubbard had represented to him that the other members of the firm would do the same, that is, would transfer to his corporation the contingent interest they had in those claims. The contingent interest of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume was a one-half interest in the claims in case the plaintiffs prevailed. Plume testified that McKenzie further represented to him and to Beeman that he controlled the appointment of the judge and the district attorney, and that if they desired to have those cases heard it would be absolutely necessary to transfer their interest to his corporation, and receive in lieu certificates of stock, and he testified that, at the same time, McKenzie demanded that a one-fourth interest of the business of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume be transferred to Joseph K. Wood, the district
On August 15th the defendants applied to Judge Noyes for orders allowing them appeals to this court from the orders appointing the receiver, and accompanied their application in each case with bonds and assignments of error, and presented bills of exceptions. The applications were denied. After the appeals had been subsequently allowed by the order of the Honorable W. W. Morrow, one of the judges of this court, and copies of the orders of the judge and the writs of supersedeas thereupon issued had arrived at Nome on September 14th, Marshal Vawter on that day served the writs upon Judge Noyes and upon the receiver. Mr. Knight called upon the judge on the same day and stated to him that he had come to see about getting an order to put into effect the writs of supersedeas, and the judge said to him: “I can do nothing about this order; this litigation has caused me a great deal of worry. My hands are tied; the court has taken the whole matter out of my hands. You gentlemen have got to fight this thing out among yourselves,” and he added: “I shall make no order; it is not my duty to do so; it is not within my province or right to do so.” On the following day Mr. Knight made a similar application for such order, and presented to the judge a form of order, to which, he testified, the judge replied that
“Nome, Alaska, Sept. 15, 1900.
“C. L. Vawter, United States Marshal, City — Dear Marshal: I have been able for the first time to make an examination of the original order sent down from the Cir7 cuit Court of Appeals, and find that it will be necessary for me to enter certain orders of record here, which will be done as soon as they can be drawn and spread upon the record. In the meantime, it devolves upon you to preserve the peace and good order so far as it is possible for you to do, and I have taken occasion to request Major Van Orsdale to render such assistance as necessary to protect life and property and to hold things in statu quo until the order can be prepared and presented to the court.
“Sincerely yours, Arthur H.. Noyes, Judge.”
The marshal testified that in connection with the letter, and after he had put a posse of two soldiers in the bank, he had a conversation with Judge Noyes, in which he told the judge what he had done to guard the bullion, and that the judge remarked: “That is right. Hold it there. Don’t let this crowd get it; don’t let anybody get it; keep the guard on there until further orders.” The marshal testified further that it was rumored at that time that the Lane people and the Pioneer Mining Company (the defendants
Judge Noyes contradicted the testimony of the marshal in regard to this conversation, and denied that he made the remarks which the marshal attributed to him. There is partial corroboration of the marshal’s testimony by that of George V. Borchsenius, the clerk of the court, who testified that he was present during a part of the conversation at St. Michaels, and that he heard some remark of Judge Noyes concerning Mr. Monckton, the clerk of the Circuit Court of Appeals. It should be noted that Marshal Vawter, at the time when he testified, was no longer marshal of the court, and that his feeling toward Judge Noyes was unfriendly, and that he and the judge were not upon speaking terms. Chas. D. French, captain in the United States Army, Seventh Infantry, testified that he was on duty at Nome in August, September, and October, 1900. That he had an interview with Judge Noyes on September 15th, in which reference was made to the writs of supersedeas, and that he asked Judge Noyes what was going to be done about it, to which Judge Noyes answered that he understood it that the writs required him not to do anything whatever. Capt. French further testified: “There was some further conversation. He directed me not to issue any executive order in reference to these writs, as I understood it. * * * I understood I was required not to undertake the execution of the writs. I was captain of Company K. Seventh Infantry, which was engaged in con
Capt. French later testified that when the judge forbade him to issue an executive order he understood it to refer to the writs of supersedeas, and he so informed Major Van Orsdale, his superior officer. Major Van Orsdale, who was in command of the military forces at Nome, testified that, on the morning of September 15th, Kenneth M. Jackson, one of the attorneys for the defendants in the Anvil Creek cases, called upon him and told him that the receiver had refused to comply with the writs of supersedeas, and that there was danger of serious trouble, as a vigilance committee was being or was about to be organized for the purpose of taking possession of the properties that McKenzie was responsible for. as receiver, and that he was very anxious that matters should proceed in a lawful way; that if the committee got started there was no knowing where it would end, and very serious trouble would probably result, possibly bloodshed. Kenneth M. Jackson testified that what he told Major Van Orsdale was that McKenzie had refused to obey the writs, and that the marshal had refused to enforce them, and that the defendants were afraid that McKenzie and the plaintiffs would remove the gold dust and get away with it, and that if they did attempt to take the gold dust out of the bank some one would get hurt, and that he wanted the assistance of the military to enforce the writs. We have no hesitation in accepting Mr. Jackson’s statement as embodying the truth of the situation. It is fully sustained by the circumstances, and by the general facts in the case as testified to by other witnesses. There was no danger of a general riot or of the formation of a vigilance committee, and there was no danger of bloodshed unless either the plaintiffs or the defendants or the receiver should attempt by force to remove the gold dust from the safe deposit vault where it was stored. It is true there were miners in Nome at that time who had been working for the receiver whose wages had not been paid, and who were clamorous for payment, but there is no credible evidence that they contemplated or threatened the use of violence to take the gold dust, or for any purpose, or that there was talk of a vigilance committee. Major Van Orsdale testified that he went to see Judge Noyes, to
“Nome City, Alaska, Sept. IS, 1900.
“Major Van Orsdale, Nome City, Alaska — My Dear Major: After you called with Captain French this morning I saw the original papers on file from the Circuit Court of Appeals, and I find that it is necessary for an order to be entered by this court, which will be entered, of course, as soon as the same can be prepared, and such further steps will be taken as will be a full and complete compliance with the order of the Circuit Court of Appeals. My anxiety in this matter is to do everything in my power, and have all those whom I can in anywise control fully comply with the order of the court above, which, of course, will be done. In the meantime it is necessary that matters should rest in statu quo, and peace and order be preserved, and I therefore request that you render such assistance to the marshal as may be necessary to maintain that peace and quiet.
“Assuring you of my desire to co-operate in every effort that is needful in order to preserve life and property, I am,
“Very sincerely yours, Arthur H. Noyes, Judge.”
Judge Noyes testified that the letter to Major Van Orsdale was written in pursuance of an interview that he had previously had with Major Van Orsdale, when the latter had called upon him and told him there was going to be a disturbance and an attack upon the bank, or that a mob was likely to assemble, and that there was going to be bloodshed.
On September 17th, W. H. Metson made formal application in court for an order directing the receiver to comply with the writs of supersedeas in his cases, and the judge answered, saying that he was preparing a formal
Similar orders were made in the other cases, all hearing date of September 17, 1900.' Judge Noyes testified that these orders were made to express his understanding of the requirements of the writs of supersedeas so far as they were directed to him, and that he did not .make or authorize the memorandum “not to be filed.” The writs contained the following: “And that.you, said Alexander McKenzie, do forthwith return unto the said defendants the possession of any and all property of which you took possession under and by virtue of said order, and that you do make return of this supersedeas, together with your acts and doings thereon, to said District Court for such District of Alaska, Second Division, as you will answer the contrary at your peril, and you, the Judge of said District Court for the District of Alaska, Second Division, are hereby commanded to stay any and all proceedings which may have issued as aforesaid upon said order, and to stay any and all further proceedings in relation to said order and the appointment
Judge Noyes testified that he was not advised of the fact that Judge Morrow had approved the form of the writs of supersedeas, or that he had taken other action than to make the orders upon which said writs were issued, and that, taking the writs in connection with those orders and the amount of the bonds upon which the appeals had been allowed, which was $35,000 in each case, he was in doubt whether the writs directed the receiver to turn over the gold dust. He testified that he told McKenzie that he, McKenzie, ought to comply with the writs, but' as to what was necessary for him to do in order to comply therewith he did not undertake to advise him; that he thought, when the appeals were taken, the whole thing was taken out of his, Noyes’, hands, and that he was restrained from taking any further steps in the cases whatever, so far as the receiver was concerned. He admitted that he declined to make an order requiring the. receiver to turn over the gold dust, “not believing I was bound to; on the contrary, believing it was not a part of my duty to do so.” On October 6th, this gold dust remaining still in the possession of McKen'zie, the receiver, but the mining claims involved in the suits having been surrendered by him to the defendants, who were then engaged in mining the same, Chipps, the plaintiff in the case of Chipps v. Lindeberg et al., by his counsel, applied to the court for an order upon the defendants therein, to show cause why they should not be restrained from removing from the territorial jurisdiction of the court the gold dust which they were then extracting from the mine, and accompanied the application with an affidavit setting forth the facts of the allowance of the appeal by Judge Morrow, and the issuance of the writ of supersedeas, which was therein referred to as “an alleged writ of supersedeas of the Circuit Court of Appeals of the Ninth Circuit.” Hearing was had upon the order to show cause on October 8th, at which time a discussion was had before the court by counsel for the respective parties concerning the effect of the writ of supersedeas. It was argued on behalf of the plaintiff that inasmuch as the appeal had been taken only from the receivership pro
The record and the evidence of these proceedings show from first to last, upon the part of Judge Noyes, an apparent disregard of the legal rights of the defendants in the cases in which McKenzie was appointed receiver. The proceedings upon which the receiver -was appointed were extraordinary in the extreme. Immediately after his arrival at Nome in company with the man who, it seems,
There is evidence of other arbitrary and oppressive action of the court in McKenzie’s favor in cases in which he was receiver or was interested,' notably the case of the Topkuk mine. It is shown that two of the original locators of that mining property went to Judge Noyes upon his arrival at Nome and complained of the action of certain trespassers, and that he referred them to his private secretary, Wheeler, saying that the latter was about to resign his office and take up the practice of the law; that they went to Wheeler, and he proposed that if they would give him a one-half interest in the mine he would secure them the full possession of their property within 24 hours; that they refused this exorbitant demand, and after some discussion were about to engage his services in consideration of a one-eighth interest, when negotiations were dropped, for the reason, it is suggested in the evidence, that McKenzie had become interested on the other side. An action of ejectment was then commenced by the persons whom the locators complained of, and one Cameron was immediately appointed by the court receiver of the mining property, upon a bond of $10,000. He proceeded to operate the mine upon an extensive scale, refused to use the machinery which the owners had placed there at an expense of $6,000, and, instead, rented machinery from McKenzie at the rate of $50 per day, and bought supplies of him to the amount of $7,800. The owners attempted to protect their interests. They challenged the sufficiency of the bond and the ability of the sureties to respond, but without avail. They attempted to watch the clean-ups, but their right to be present was denied by the receiver. They applied to the court for relief, but the only relief -they could obtain was an order that one of their number, who was designated by name, be permitted to be present at each clean-up simultaneously with one of the plaintiffs. The evidence is that a consider
The charges are in substance that the respondent is guilty of contempt of this court in refusing to execute an order directing the receiver to obey the writs of supersedeas, in giving to the marshal and to Major Van Orsdale instructions to hold matters in statu quo and permit no one to have the gold dust, and in issuing the subsequent injunction of October 10th enjoining the defendants from removing the gold dust from the jurisdiction of the court. When the writs of supersedeas arrived at Nome, and their contents were made known to Judge Noyes, and an application was made to him for an order requiring the receiver to obey them, it was his plain duty to make that order. The receiver had refused to obey the writs. He was an officer of Judge Noyes’ court, subject in all his conduct as receiver to be controlled by the order of that court, subject to removal or punishment for contempt in case of disobedience. If Judge Noyes believed the writs were void, it was none the less his duty to obey them, and to leave the question of their validity to the decision of the court whose writs they were. He had no warrant for saying that his hands were tied. The writs of supersedeas did not tie his hands so as to prevent his obe
Had Judge Noyes done nothing further than to refuse to make an order directing the receiver to obey the writs, however, we -should hesitate to hold his refusal to be contempt of court. But he went further than that. Not only did he refuse to make the order, but, apparently fearful that the defendants in those cases were about to obtain possession of the gold dust under the writs, he issued to the marshal and to Major Van Orsdale directions to hold things in statu quo, and couched his directions in words which, upon their face and unexplained, we can construe no otherwise than as meaning that his purpose was to prevent the delivery of the gold dust to the defendants or to any one. These orders, it is true, were accompanied with the promise that the court would investigate the writs and issue such orders as might be proper for their enforcement, but, when the promised orders were finally made, they were orders not enjoining obedience, but the reverse. In framing the orders,- Judge Noyes took the language of the supersedeas so far as it enjoined him from further proceeding in the receivership matter, and turned it into a general order of the court, which, if it had any force or effect at all, had the effect to inhibit the surrender of the gold dust by McKenzie, the receiver. But Judge Noyes disclaimed that he had any purpose to interfere with the writs or to obstruct their enforcement, and testified that his orders to the marshal and to Major Van
In arriving at the conclusion which we have reached in this case, we have not failed to recognize the seriousness of the charge of contempt when laid at the door of a judge of a court, nor the necessity of maintaining a due regard for the judicial discretion which belongs to that office. It is essential, however, to the administration of justice that the process of courts be obeyed. Upon no one does this obligation of obedience rest with more binding force than upon a judicial officer. The respondent Arthur H. Noyes is adjudged guilty of contempt of the authority of this court by his resistance to the execution of its writs of supersedeas. In. view of the fact that he holds a pub-lice office, it is the opinion of the court that the respondent be required to pay a fine. It is accordingly adjudged that he pay a fine of $1,000.
Thomas J. Geary, an attorney of this court, was cited to show cause upon evidence which had been furnished by himself in his testimony taken before this court on January 23, 1901, in the case of Kjellman vs. Rodgers, upon the proceedings which were instituted against Alexander McKenzie for contempt. Mr. Geary testified at that time that he was the attorney for McKenzie, the receiver, at Nome, and that on or about September 17th he discussed with Judge Noyes the application which had been made to the latter for an order directing the receiver to turn over the gold dust according to the writs of supersedeas, in which discussion Judge Noyes said to him that he did not believe he possessed the authority to make such an
In his testimony taken in the present proceedings, the respondent testified that he never at any time advised McKenzie to disobey the writs; that he went no further than to state to McKenzie his opinion of the law, and that he advised him that in his opinion not only the orders appointing him receiver were not appealable, but that the writs themselves did not require him to surrender the possession of the gold dust; and he testified that he gave McKenzie no advice whatever as to the course of action he ought to pursue in the matter. Upon his attention being directed to the specific testimony which he had given in the McKenzie case, and which is quoted above, he testified that either he did not catch the scope of the interrogatory, or that the testimony had been incorrectly taken by the reporter, and that he had not intended to testify as re
Joseph K. Wood, the United States district attorney, went to Nome in company with McKenzie and Judge Noyes, and immediately after his arrival, through the intermediation of McKenzie, became a silent member of the firm of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume, and appointed Mr. Hume his deputy district attorney. He corroborated the testimony of Hume to the effect that an arrangement' was also made whereby McKenzie was to be a member of the firm and to receive one-fourth of the profits thereof, but he expressed a doubt whether the agreement was ever carried out. The charge which is made against Wood is that at the time of the arrest of McKenzie on October 15, 1900, the keys of the safe-deposit vaults in which McKenzie, as receiver, kept the gold dust which was to be delivered under the writs of supersedeas, had been given by McKenzie to Wood, and that when the officers, in the presence of McKenzie, demanded of Wood the possession of the keys, he refused to surrender the same. Geo. H. Burnham, one of the deputy marshals who went from San Francisco to arrest McKenzie and enforce obedience to the writs of supersedeas, testified that on October 15, 1900, while he had McKenzie in his custody under arrest, he and Shelley Monckton, the other deputy marshal, demanded of McKenzie the keys of the box which contained the gold dust in the Alaska Banking & Savings Deposit Company, and that McKenzie answered that he had given the keys to Mr. Wood, the United States attorney; that Mr.
C. A. S. Frost, an attorney at law, was sent to Nome, by the department of justice as a special examiner to advise and instruct the clerk of the court and the marshal concerning their duties and accounts. He held that office until September 15, 19p0, when he resigned to become assistant district attorney to Joseph K. Wood, in the place of Hume, who had resigned, which office he held until April 15, 1901, when he became the private secretary of Judge Noyes. Direct testimony in support of the charg
“Respectfully, C. A. S. Frost.”
The marshal testified that the letter was accompanied by an order to swear in a large posse comitatus to prevent the delivery of the gold dust to the Lane crowd or to the Pioneer people, and that Frost at the same time remarked that such delivery must be prevented at all hazards, and that he said: “They are going to try to take it by force, and these writs that have been sent up here will be declared void by the Supreme Court. You must obey this court; you are the executive officer of this court here.”
Frost in his testimony contradicted the marshal as to all essential features of his testimony, except that he admitted having written the letter, but the marshal is so well corroborated that we entertain no doubt of the truth of his testimony. Geo: Leekley, who was the marshal’s deputy and clerk, and who occupied the same room with Frost, testified that a day or two after September 14th, the date when the writs of supersedeas arrived at Nome,
Concurrence Opinion
(concurring).
The findings of fact in the cases of Arthur H. Noyes, Joseph K. Wood, and C. A. S. Frost, embodied in the foregoing opinion of my Brother GILBERT, to the effect that each of those parties committed the contempt alleged against him, meets with my concurrence; but I am of the opinion that the records and evidence in the cases show beyond any reasonable doubt that the circumstances under which and the purposes for which each of those persons committed the contempt alleged and so found were far graver than is indicated in the opinion of the court, and that the punishment awarded by the Court is wholly inade
The facts and circumstances against the respondent Wood are by no means so strong, although I find it difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile his ignorance of and disconnection with the conspiracy with the facts that immediately upon his arrival at Nome he was, at McKenzie’s dictation, given a one-fourth interest in the firm of Hubbard, Beeman & Hume (which firm was employed to carry on the legal part of the nefarious business), and that Hume (who was, so far as appears, a total stranger to Wood) was, likewise at McKenzie’s dictation, immediately appointed by Wood assistant United ■ States attorney. I think Wood should be imprisoned for 10 months.
In regard to the respondent Geary, I agree with the finding of the court to the effect that the contempt alleged against him is not sufficiently established. Reading and considering Geary’s entire testimony, and especially his written opinion given McKenzie at the time of the occurrences in question, and in the light of the testimony of Mr. Metson, I am of the opinion that it is not shown that he went beyond the legitimate privileges of an attorney in giving his legal advice. I therefore concur-in the dismissal of the proceedings against him.
Concurrence Opinion
(concurring).
I concur in the findings of fact contained in the opinion of Judge GILBERT in the cases of Arthur H. Noyes, Joseph K. Wood, and C. A. S. Frost, and in the judgments directed to be entered thereon. I am also of the opinion that the evidence does not establish the charge against Thomas J. Geary.
In my judgment the evidence establishes the fact that there was a conspiracy between the respondent Noyes, McKenzie, and others to secure possession of certain valuable mining claims at Nome, Alaska, under proceedings involving the appointment of a receiver for the purpose of working the properties and obtaining the gold deposited in the claims. To carry these proceedings to a supposed successful conclusion, Noyes, McKenzie, and others found it a necessary part of their scheme to resist the process of this court. In pursuance of this conspiracy, the contempt charged against Noyes was committed; but I agree with Judge GILBERT that this conspiracy is outside the charge of contempt, and, in view of the fact that the respondent Noyes holds a judicial position, I concur in his judgment that the respondent be required to pay a fine of $1,000.