All The Judson-Moran Cases Were Settled

Neither Side Takes Back a Word But Both Promise to Be Good in the Future

Judge Kinne and J. C. Knowlton Peacemakers

It Took All the Morning to Finish the Negotiations.—Both Sides Claims They Would Have Won But Neither Dared Try the Case—All Suits Dropped.

Peace is declared. As many people have all along stated the various Judson - Moran, Canfleld - Allmendinger cases will never be tried. It looks as if one were afraid and the other daresn't, and so they fell into each others' arms, kissed and made up. Ambassador J. Cambon Knowlton conducted the peace negotiations on the ground that it was time for this cruel war to cease. It ceased. And this is how it all happened: The case of William Judson vs. Selby A. Moran was on call yesterday. Judson claimed that Moran had libeled him in his paper, charging him with several crimes. Moran had long maintained that he hadn't libeled him, as his charges were true. A special panel of 15 jurors had been drawn at an extra expense to the county of over $125 for this special case. The lawyers took their places at the tables. For Judson, there appeared Attorneys Brown, Kearney, Cavanaugh and Lehman, and for Moran, Attorneys Sawyer, Sawyer, jr. , Jones and Gorman. There was a feeling of tense expectancy. The court was called to order. Then before the case was called, the attorneys appeared in the judge's room. Court held on but no cases were called. Occasionally a lawyer would appear. Soon Judson's lawyers began coming into the court room, leaving their client in consultation with the enemy. Moran's negotiations seemed to be entirely in the hands of his attorneys, while Judson was acting for himself. Sometime elapsed when Attorney A. J. Sawyer appeared on his way to a telephone to call up Crane, of Saginaw. This meant that the Stockwell case was to be included in the settlement. Then everybody appeared, chatted and waited. The various county officers appeared, watched and speculated. Even Judge Newkirk finally showed up on the scene but disclaimed caring anything about the case. After a long wait, Sawyer re-appeared. So did Ambassador Knowlton, looking happy. Then all the parties disappeared in the judge's room and after a short period most of them came out and started home. Then appeared O. E. Butterfield and Mr. Knowlton, carrying a stipulation.

The actual court proceedings were as follows:

At 11:43 o'clock, Mr. Butterfield said: "If your honor please, the cases of William Judson vs. Selby A. Moran, Lester Canfield vs. G. Frank Allmendinger, Selby A. Moran vs. William Judson and Lester Canfield, are discontinued without costs to either party. I have a written stipulation which can be filed in one case but which relates to all."

Judge Kinne—"Cases No. 27, 28 and 44 are discontinued without costs to either party as against the other."

At 11:44 all was over, and the Judson cases were out of court.

The stipulation was as follows:

State of Michigan, The Circuit Court for the County of Washtenaw.

William Judson, plaintiff, vs. Selby A. Moran, defendant, action for libel.

Lester Canfield, plaintiff, vs. G. Frank Allmendinger, defendant, action for libel.

Selby A . Moran, plaintiff, vs. William Judson and Lester Canfield, defendants, action for false imprisonment.

The Circuit Court for the County of Livingston.

Howard Stockwell, plaintiff, vs. William Judson, Lester Canfield, Joseph Doane and William Mosher, defendants, action for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.

The above entitled cases now ready for trial in said courts are understood by all parties to be the result of bitter feeling engendered in political combat and all parties confidently expect to prevail; but many friends of each party dread the contest and predict results disastrous to all concerned and uncomfortable to many not concerned.

While therefore the several parties each insist upon the full justice of their cause they hereby agree for the sole purpose of political harmony and the gratification of their friends, to discontinue all suits now pending.

And it is also agreed that no one of the parties to this agreement shall publish, or cause to be published, anything further relating to any question involved in any of said suits, it being the desire of all parties to end further controversy.

LESTER CANFIELD,

G. FRANK ALLMENDINGER,

S A. MORAN,

WM. JUDSON.

Now, therefore, it is hereby stipulated and agreed by and between the respective parties, by their respective attorneys, that said causes be and they are hereby discontinued, without costs to either party.

ARTHUR BROWN,

THOS. D. KEARNEY,

RANDALL & JONES,

A. J. SAWYER,

R. L. CRANE, per A. J. Sawyer,

J. W. BENNETT,

LAWRENCE & BUTTERFIELD,

LEHMAN BROS. & STIVERS.

Dated Ann Arbor, Oct. 11, 1899.

Judge Kinne then discharged the special talesmen impanelled for the special purpose of trying this case.

Mr. Knowlton, who negotiated the settlement, was not an attorney in the case, and Judge Kinne had a day or two ago requested him to see what he could do towards settling the case.

Both sides to the case were very positive in their assertions of expected victory, and even after the settlement each side claimed that if the case had gone on they would have proven that the other side had been using money to procure false testimony. Such is harmony.