Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 25.pdf/565

 The Legal Monthly OwingAnalysis doubtless of Leading in large Legal measure Events to the interest excited in the coming elec tions, the month was free from note worthy legal developments. The Sulzer impeachment trial held the centre of the stage, furnishing a salutary example of the tendency to broaden the grounds for impeachment so as to recognize the public character of the conduct of an official from the time he enters upon his candidacy, rather than simply from the moment when he is elected or inducted into office. The Thaw litigation con tinued to drag itself out without reach ing the long awaited conclusive termi nation. The judicial elections have in the main been free from any sensational results, and notwithstanding the con troversy which grew out of Judge Wer ner's connection with the Ives case, in New York State, he missed being re elected only by a majority of about 4,000 votes given his opponent, Judge Bartlett, while Judge Hiscock, the other state bar association's candidate, was easily elected. It is of interest to note that there is in New York a revulsion against the tendency which aims at the statement of the evidence, in appealed cases, in narrative form, the new rule of practice which has just gone into effect embody ing the recommendation of some of the bar associations that the evidence shall be set out by question and answer, at least in statements of case and exceptions as distinguished from bills of excep tions, to avoid the danger of a distorted narrative presentation of the evidence. In the field of penal reform, it seems likely that the generous action of Thomas Mott Osborne, chairman of the New

World

York Prison Commission, in serving out a week in the Auburn penitentiary to see for himself how prisoners are treated, will tend to arouse public interest in reform measures and to help the move ment for the individualization of pun ishment and wiser and fairer treatment of offenders.

Personal Hon. Charles C. Craig, newly elected Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, was for twenty-five years a lawyer in active practice in Galesburg, Ill., and served two terms in the legislature. He is a son of the late Judge A. M. Craig, who served continuously as Justice of the Supreme Court from 1873 to 1900. Chief Justice George M. Powers, ap pointed by Governor Fletcher to suc ceed Chief Justice John W. Rowell, resigned, took his place on the bench of the Supreme Court of Vermont at the opening of the October term. The new Chief Justice is promoted from an Associate Justiceship. His predecessor, Judge Rowell, who is seventy-eight years old. has the honor of having been on the supreme bench longer than any other man in the history of the state. A portrait of the late John B. Gantt, judge of the Missouri Supreme Court, was presented to the court Oct. 14 at memorial exercises in which several addresses were made in his memory. At this ceremony former Judge John F. Phillips of Kansas City made the re markable statement that the death of Judge Gantt, which occurred last year, soon after his retirement, had been