St. Clair County Court
Judges: Thomas D. Nevill, Sam C. Pedin.
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Published New York Times, 30 October 1902
Judge in Contempt Released.
Official of St. Clair County, Missouri, Had Been Committed By Federal Court.
Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 29. -- Samuel C. Peden, ex-Judge of the County Court of
St. Clair County, Missouri, who has been in jail at Maryville since May, 1901,
for contempt of court, in refusing to order a tax levy to pay bonds pledged for
the Tebo and Neosho Railway in 1879, was ordered released today by Judge John F.
Phillips of the United States District Court in this city.
While in jail, Judge Peden several months ago sent his resignation to Gov.
Dockery, and a successor was appointed. It is supposed that Judge Peden's
release was a result of his resignation.
Judge Thomas Nevitt, presiding Judge of the St. Clair County Court, is still in
jail, where several of his predecessors, all having refused to respect the
United States Court's commands to order a tax levy for the payment of the bonds,
had previously spent their terms of office.