The Judge Who Wanted to Join the Salvation Army

THE WICKERSHAM CASE.

A Change of Venue Denied by Burke.

TACOMA, Wash. — The old tale of a woman wronged and the perjury of man was told again in the district court yesterday afternoon, by the deputy prosecuting attorney in his opening argument in the trial of Probate Judge Wickersham, of Tacoma, for the seduction of Miss Sadie M. Basted.

At the Saturday session of court this celebrated case was put down on the docket for Monday morning. When court was convened at 9 o'clock yesterday the large crowd that is always attracted by a prurient sensation filled the court-room; but the case was not called, the attorneys for the defendant having been granted a delay until afternoon to prepare affidavits upon which to base a motion for a change of venue to Pierce county.

It was not until nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon that the case was reached, after other matters of lesser magnitude had been disposed of. Then Judge Wickersham drew up his chair to the table on one side of which were seated his attorneys, Messrs. Judson and Sullivan, of Tacoma, and James H. Lewis, while on the other side were arrayed District Attorney Ronald and his assistant, and Messrs. Doolittle and Pethard, of Tacoma, and District Attorney W. I. Corrier, of the Second judicial district, who are associated in the prosecution.

Judge Wickersham sat nervously in his chair during a conference between his attorneys, and once leaned over to an attorney not connected with the case to enjoy the remark:

"When this thing is over I'm going to join the Salvation Army as a horrible example."