Chapter 5

The courtroom was buzzing with whispers, insinuations, and murmurs. Everyone was curious as to why Mr. Stemple was still in the courtroom. The newspapermen were stunned and wanted to find out what was being said in the judges' chambers. Matilda, Jeremy, Joshua, Candy, and Biddie all sat still. They did not want to say anything knowing that whatever they would say, the reporters would change and take out of context about what they were talking. Jeremy noticed something unusual and pointed it out to Candy who pointed it out to Biddie, Joshua had seen it as well and pointed it out to Matilda. They all wondered what the reporter was doing. He had a glass up to the door of the judge's chambers and was listening or trying to listen to what was being said. He was leaning quite heavily on the door when it opened, and the glass fell and shattered and he himself fell on top of the Bailiff's shoes.

The Bailiff looked at him and at the crowd of people. He stepped over the reporter and went to his desk and then facing the public said:

"The judge has requested that we all take a little break of about an hour or two. He suggested you all go out; get some lunch and exercise and we will open the courtroom at 4 pm. Thank you!" he picked up his files and then walked back to the door to the judge's chambers. The reporter was still there not having moved from his place on the floor. The Bailiff looked at him and said:
"Sir, may I have your name?"

"Robert T Washburn." The man said as he tried to stand up.

"Mr. Washburn, I have here a summons for you to appear in civil court next week to explain your actions today at the door of the judge's chambers. If you do not appear, you will be considered a criminal and will be picked up and taken to jail forthwith!" The Bailiff said as he dropped the piece of paper with the summons onto the floor. Then since the man had not gotten up, he gingerly stepped over him again, walked into the judge's chambers and turned and shut the door and locked it! The man had to jump out of the way if he did not want to get stuck in the door.

Jeremy started to laugh and so did the others as they filed out of the courtroom. Joshua took Matilda's arm as Jeremy took Candy's and Biddie's as well. They decided to go back to their rooms at the hotel and wait there. Matilda went with them and although some reporters were trying to ask Matilda something, Joshua and Jeremy and The other ladies kept a tight group with Matilda in the middle and no way to get to her.

Meanwhile back at the judge's chambers, Mr. Stemple, and Jason and Barnabas, and Mr. Mason were on one side of the judge's chambers, and Mr. Bailey along with Mr. Rochester, Mr. Arlington, and Mr. Benson on the other side. The judge had asked the bailiff to order some food to be brought to the chambers.

"Bailiff, did you also dismiss the jury?"

"Yes sir. I gave the foreman the note you told me to give to them before I went out of the other door and found that reporter 'listening' with a glass to our conversation." He chuckled.

"I don't see how he could have heard anything but if we read something in the papers tomorrow or later, we will know he did not hear a word and was making it up!" Judge stone chuckled at that.

"As soon as we are finished with lunch, we will resume our discussion. Mr. Bailey, I have not let you nor your clients leave as I did not want anything to get said just yet as to what is being decided here. Messrs. Rochester, Arlington, and Benson, I thank you for agreeing to meet with us. Enjoy your meal and we will start in about half an hour." Judge Stone said as he finished off the roast beef and potatoes that had been ordered.

"Judge, would it be okay if we chatted privately in your antechamber?" Mr. Mason asked. Judge Stone looked up and said.

"Yes, that will be fine. Just watch out for reporters with water glasses to listen in on you!" They all smiled except the other side who just sneered and ate quietly.

Mr. Mason had Barnabas, Jason and Aaron go with him to the antechamber. There they discussed the situation in privacy.

"Now, Mr. Stemple, I do believe that you are correct in objecting however, you could have just sent a note to me, and I could have objected without offending the court!" said Mr. Mason

"Sir, if I felt there was time to send you a note, I would have done so, but as it was, Mr. Bailey was trying to ruin my colleagues reputation and to tell you the truth, it isn't about his reputation or anyone's reputation it is about the scam and con that those men tried to take advantage of the citizens of Seattle!" Aaron said as he stood near Jason who looked at him with surprise and a little admiration.

"I understand that Mr. Stemple, but you do know that you have placed yourself in contempt of court?" said Mr. Mason stating it as a matter of fact. Aaron Stemple nodded and agreed and was about to say something when Jason said:

"Mr. Mason, Mr. Stemple, and I have worked together for a very long time. Sometimes as partners, sometimes as foes but always respectful of each other's business opinions. I can't say that I have always agreed with his tactics or decisions, but I had a logging company to run and if the loggers were not happy, then I wasn't happy. They wanted women, Lottie, helped us to find women who were marriageable, educated and 'God-fearing' souls to help build Seattle into a beautiful city. Aaron Stemple put up the money and my brothers and I put up the mountain to be able to bring the brides to Seattle so that both the loggers and sawyers would be able to marry women who were marriageable and educated. These women are still the promise of a new and better Seattle!" Aaron looked at Jason and shook his head and said:

"Aren't you overdoing it a bit with that golden tongue of yours? If the judge does decide in our favor, I don't think it will be because of what you said!" Mr. Mason said to them:
"It may be that that is what the judge wants to hear from all of you. You are fighting for your town, your city, and the dreams you had when you first started. Jason, your father, and mother came here with a dream, Aaron, you came out west with a dream, you both brought 'brides' to help build and settle the area! That is what the judge needs to hear from you. That is how you will win this case! It won't be because of someone' reputation or how they were able to swindle a person out of his money, but how the whole town came together because they believed in each other!" Mr. Mason said with conviction. Just then Judge Stone called everyone back into the main office. There on his left sat Mr. Bailey and the other men. Jason and Aaron and the attorneys were to sit on his right. Judge Stone looked at both sides and said:

"I have heard a lot of information but nothing about what really happened in Seattle. So, therefore, I would like to hear Mr. Stemple's side and then Mr. Rochester's side. I do not want to hear about who was good, or bad, who did something with 'who'? whom? I want to hear just the facts. So, Mr. Bailey I need you to have Mr. Rochester speak first!" The judge said as he sat at his desk.

Mr. Bailey shuffled his papers and looked at Mr. Rochester. He had warned him that the ruin of reputations may not work, and it didn't now, Mr. Rochester would have to either 'lie' to the court and come up with an answer that was not the truth, or he would have to tell the truth and throw himself on the mercy of the court. Mr. Bailey looked up. Judge Stone was waiting. Mr. Bailey looked at Mr. Rochester and nodded to him. He was going to have to stand up and explain his activities. Mr. Rochester stood up and said:

"If it please the court, I was hoping to make some money to buy properties in Seattle so that I would be able to settle down in Seattle, bring my wife and children and my aged mother to a safe and secure home."

"Go on, Mr. Rochester?" said the judge.

"I wanted Mr. Arlington to buy out the mercantile and then I wanted Mr. Benson to join us and run the post office. I did not know he would not be bringing his wife but the other lady who has a questionable background!" Jason held his tongue and waited. The judge noted that and smiled at Jason Bolt.

"Mr. Rochester, I said before do not talk about reputations, this is just the facts! Do you have anything more to say?" asked Judge Stone

Mr. Rochester took a deep breath and said:

"As I was saying Mr. Benson was a post master in his town, he asked if I had any jobs available for him, So I told him of the Post Office job in Seattle. . Now, I had not planned to have my friends take over, they just so happened to need new opportunities, so I just provided them with some opportunities! Said Mr. Rochester as he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow.

"Is that all you have to say?" asked the judge. Mr. Rochester nodded yes and sat down. The judge looked at Mr. Stemple and said:
"Mr. Stemple, I know of your involvement with Miss Vanderhoff, but why did you suspect that these three men were up to something criminal?" asked the judge. Aaron had not expected to be called upon, but he stood up and answered the judge.

"I had a suspicion that something was wrong when Mr. Arlington bought out The Mercantile and that his bank was already to start foreclosure on several other business in town, including my sawmill which has never had late payments! Then I noticed that the post office which had been located in the mercantile had been moved to the Wells Fargo office. It was only when Miss Hatfield was 'selling' her saloon/hotel to Miss Vanderhoff, that I realized that something was happening. I wanted to know why these three men, and Miss Vanderhoff were suddenly working together and in our town. I was going to investigate this when Miss Sweeney arrived with Mr. Benson as the town Postal Office Manager.

"What did you do when Miss Sweeney arrived?" asked the judge.

"Sir, I decided to ask her what to do?" said Aaron.

"Why did you ask Miss Sweeney? Who is she to you?" Aaron looked at Jason who nodded quietly. Aaron continued:

"When Miss Sweeney first came, she to Seattle, she asked to see Jason and his brothers and me as well. She said she was a detective and that there was a bride on the ship who was not a bride but a murderer. Needless to say, she was able to catch the murderess, and provide two more 'marriageable' brides so that Jason's mountain would still be his. We all came to trust her and when I found out she was in the 'set up' I immediately went to Miss Sweeney to ask if she needed my help. She did and suggested that I renew my acquaintance with Miss Vanderhoff. Which I did, that is when I found out that the men and Miss Vanderhoff were trying to swindle our town!" Aaron finished. Judge Stone looked at Mr. Bailey and then asked Aaron:
"So, when you found this out, did you not think to contact other federal agents, not just Miss Sweeney?"

"I was under the impression that Miss Sweeney was running the operation, so I naturally deferred to her." Said Aaron. Mr. Bailey stood up and said:

"Sir, all that Mr. Stemple is saying is false, Miss Vanderhoff was acting of her own accord and had no part in these men's acquisition of property. In fact, Miss Vanderhoff's reputation is much worse than Miss Sweeney's!" said Mr. Bailey. Aaron was seething, Joshua and Jeremy were having a hard time holding him in place. Aaron went over and put his hand on Jason's shoulder as Mr. Bailey continued:
"The reputation of Miss Sweeney and Miss Vanderhoff and of course Mr. Jason Bolt leave something to be desired! I suggest we settle this trial now, without a jury because sir, these men have already ruined the reputation of Seattle as a fair and civically minded city!" Mr. Bailey said. Jason stood up and his brothers as well.

"Judge Stone, if we have been dishonorable in your court, yes, send us out without further questions, but if we have been honorable in our actions, if we have proved that we do care for the fine city of Seattle, we brought women who were marriageable, women who were educated and 'God fearing' to help us men to be all that we can be and our city to become not just a dream in our minds but a new and glorious place to live where the hills are greenest green and the skies, the skies are the bluest blue and everyone had a chance to grow among the beauty of the trees and nature. Then, then forgive us because all we wanted was to fulfill a dream, a destiny for our fair territory of Washington, named after the first President!" Jason stood there, his brothers next to him, Aaron looked a little ill after the 'greenest green' statement but all in all, What Jason had said was true, bringing educated women, building up a city, a town was what was needed. Judge Stone sat for a moment. He called the Bailiff and said to get everyone back into court, he had made up his mind. He also handed the Bailiff a note and winked and sent the Bailiff off to do his job.