The Juror Bribery Scandal
A courtroom drama unfolds as attempts to bribe jurors in a Great Northern condemnation case land the perpetrators in legal limbo.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Eugene Way, whose alleged attempt to bribe jurors in the Great Northern condemnation case caused such a sensation in Judge Osborn's court, gave bonds of $500 to appear before the court. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Way and Edwards for contempt, though the court noted the confusion in the process due to errors in the clerk's office. Judge Osborn expressed his deep frustration, stating, 'I consider such an offense as worse than treason, and that a man does as much harm to the community by committing it as he would do by putting strychnine in a public spring.' While Way eventually appeared, his associate Edwards remains at large. The judge struggled with the procedural difficulty of acting as both judge and prosecutor, highlighting the lack of clear statutes in Washington to address this form of corruption beyond common law contempt charges.
“I consider such an offense as worse than treason, and that a man does as much harm to the community by committing it as he would do by putting strychnine in a public spring.”
Bribery and attempts to manipulate judicial outcomes remain a foundational fear in civic life. The judge's comparison of jury tampering to poisoning a public spring reflects the era's view of the courts as the literal wellspring of a functioning, civilized society.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.