855 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [339 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

JAMES THOMPSON CALLENDER

The reckless conduct of Judge Chase in the courtroom can only be explained by his awareness that it was to be a struggle to the death between himself and the distinguished lawyers Virginia had sent against him: Edmund Randolph, George Hay, William Wirt, and Philip Nicholas.

The indictment made no mention of the book "The Prospect Before Us." Instead, a few sentences, by no means the bitterest that could be found, were chosen as the basis of the case. Callender wrote that the reign of Mr. Adams had been one continuous tempest of malignant passion. Since taking his seat in the Presidential chair, Adams had never opened his lips or lifted his pen without scolding or threatening. He had exasperated the rage of contending parties, calumniated and destroyed every man who differed from him in opinion, driven from office everyone who would not vote as he wished, and was, besides, a professed aristocrat.

The case opened with the usual plea for time, which was granted. The lawyers then prepared a trap for the judge. They presented an affidavit from Callender stating that he needed even more time, in fact, until the next term. The witnesses on whose testimony he relied to prove the truth of his statements could not be assembled in a few weeks. The affidavit listed witnesses scattered across the country: William Gardner from Portsmouth, Judge Bee from South Carolina, Tench Coxe and Timothy Pickering from Philadelphia, General Blackburn from Bath County, Virginia, and William B. Giles from Amelia County in the same state. Great stress was laid on the testimony of Giles.

The Court postponed the trial for a few days. When the case was called again, the defense lawyers declared they did not think Giles would come. They boldly claimed that, as the Court had consented to a delay in the hope that Giles would appear, the judge had, by doing so, admitted the extreme importance of that witness and ought, therefore, to postpone the trial until Giles did come.