The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-18
THE BAR ASSOCIATION.
Evidence Coming in from All Sides-The Fight
Of the Marine Court Judges-A Story About a
Set OF Furs-How to Pump Witness

| engaged III tue invest2atiOn OF the aueseu aDusc5
In the Marine Court met last evening at their rooms
In Twenty-seventh street and heard the testimony
OF several witnesses Messrs. Townsend. Sewell
and Olney were the only members OF the committee
present, and during the evening the latter dis
! tinguished himself by the dcxtrous man
ner in which he manipulated the witnesses.
The scene was quite lively during the examination,
| and some rather curious matters were brought to
light to the manner OF netting out justice in the
| Marine Court. Judges J0achimsen and Shea were.
present during the investigation, and the former
exhibited considerable excitemens during the tcs-
tmony of Mr.. Harrison, who before pro-
ducing the afldavts he had with him.
wished the committee to distinctly under
stand he did not appear behalf of
Judge Curtis. Mr.. Clarke, witness brought
| forward by Mr.. Harrison, afterward testified that
i Judge Curtis had asked him to testify before the
committee. on the whole, things were rather
mixed, and as the Judges lighting one another
the public win probably be favored with full ex-
/ hibit of the inside workings OF
MARINE COURT.
Mr.. II. c. Dennison, attorney, appeared before
the committee and requested permission to pro-
duce some afdavits in relation to the Marine Court.
| The members OF the committee stated that they
would be glad to hear anything Mr.. Dennison had
to OFFER Witness then produced some papers in
relation to the case of Lewis BON against Joseph
Jamsck and Jacob Pincus. In this case
Judge Joachimsen upon an aildayit sworn to
before Joseph r. Joachmsen, son of the Judge.
The affidavit of John A. Dnkel was then read and
referred TO the above case, stating the day upon
which the writ of attachment granted by Judge
Joachmsen was made returnabe the attorney
to Court to inform Judge Joachimsen Of
that fact and request postponement, so
attachment, on the ground of the insuhcicncy
Of the papers upon which the same was issued
endorsed the attachment in red ink, motion to
yacate attachment denied, with so costs" On the
SSTns day n the aocsso a up before Judge
fault for the amount claimed with costs.
ton to vacate said Judgment and open the cause
was afterwards granted by Judge Tracy pay
ment OF s65 costs, which afterwards modified to
$40. Judge Joachimsen afterwards handed thccasc
over to referee, and named exJudge Alker, not
withstanding the objections of deponent The
affidavit also refers to suit Of Kurzman, which
came up before Rufus f. Andrews, and tells
A LITTLE STORY
about 5000 note of Rufus F. Andrews, which
Mr.. Andrews had rendered his decision as ref
cree kurzman advanced 5000 on the note.
Andrews s J., afterwards decided for the plaintiff,
anxious to pay with the $500 note and get $50
change Andrews then said he was short, and got
a check for $3.50. The $500 note was not paid, and
an action ensued, which came up In the Marine
Court before Judge Joachmsen, who appointed
Mr.. Levi to try the issues OF the case.
The same witness then read the affidavit of Noah
Tugwel In reference to the case OF Corey against
|
by default before Judge Joachimsen, when John A.
Godfrey appeared In opposition to the motion. The
motion was argued in December, 1871. Mr.. Tugwell
stated In his affidavit, sworn to April Is, 1872,
that he was the attorney for the defendant in the
two suits brought by Corey against Langley, and
that Charles II. Marsh appeared for defendant On
his motion to open default he found he was OPP
posed by Morris Goodhart, a son-in-iaw of Judge
Joachimsen. He also added a eu0giStc opinion
upon the judicial merits of Judge Curtis of the Ma
rine Court.
washington E. Langley in his AFFIDAVIT stated that
|
he arrived at the Court ut twenty minutes past
ten o'clock 4. NJ MAJ, and found his case had
motion was denied by Judge Joachimsen. He after
wards found that Messrs Blackwell, Satterlee Co.
which was traced to the bank, and he there
found the check drawn by Satteree and endorsed
OF the claim. levy had been made upon some
property Of his then in the hands OF Messrs Satter
atcly paid the amount. The check had been made
payable to blank, but the bank would not cash it
without an endorsement.
, Ex-Judge ALKER said IL have no desire to make
any statement, but do state am not aware Of
any combination or clique among the Judges OF the
Marine Court. II there was any such combination
il was without my knowledge ] have heard it
stated that decisions were not obtained from the
Judges as soon as they should have been. An in
stance occurred some two years ago, when was
sitting in Part |. came case before me, and one
down for Part 3 (Chambers), then being held
by Judge Curtis. ] asked for the papers,
tay fss oot i pares snod
try the case as il was down on my calendar. told
Judge Curtis officer that should try the case, and
shortly the officer returned and said that Judge
the case and be damned, but Judge
Alker also stated that he remembered seeing Judge
Curtis present in Court during the case OF Rauppns
, against Uman, which came up before the General
Term, but he did not remember seeing him in con-
versation with any of the lawyers concerned in the
case, as he never paid much attention to anything
MI Elijah f. Clark, the defendant in the suit of
Beam against Clark, came forward and stated that
he had employed Beam to repair his house for
$4,000, and he paid all except $500, and was then
sued by Mr. Beam for that amount, with interest.
The case was brought up before Judge Gross in the
Marine Court. had only three witnesses (expcrts
The plaintiffs attorney came to me in the follow
ing June and stated he had obtained Judgment,
and we finally appealed. The case then slept until
the fall OF 1871. went In one day and saw Judge
Curtis, who introduced me to Judge Shea telling
him at the same time that was anxious to get my
case decided. i afterward heard that the case was
decided against me, but upon the affidavit of my
SISTER AND COOK
/ got new trial. 1t came up before Judge Curtis
and before 1t was tried / met Judge Curtis who
said that he thought he should have a, to decide
known Judge Curtis about seven years and he is no
relative Of mine. saw him just after the suit was
what was said, but he told me TO send a
SET FURs
to his sister in Massachusetts and charge him with
the amount; the bill has not been paid yet; the
Judge said should not stand the extortion of
Beam: the frlrs were worth about forty fifty dol
lars; tcld my baokkeeper to send the bill to the
Judge, as he had so requested; believe the bill
was sent: Judge Curtis was introduced to
me by my nephew, James w. clark; do not
think my nephew Is very intimate win Judge Cur
It's: | believe they were at school together and
class mates do not care to mention the names OF
the members ofmy firm, "a it would be useless to drag
their names before the public IN such matter; am
In the wholesale business, and only transact q re-
tail business an occasional favor; think Judge
Curtis asked me TO come before this committee and
testify, but was personally anxious to do so,
fancied they had got wrong impression Of the
case; Judge Curtis Is no relation of mine.
samuel II. Randall testihed:-I counsel for
the plaintiff In the suit Of Rauppns against Ulman
in an appeal from an order granted by Judge Cur
tis, which was afterwards vacated by Judge Joacll-
imsen; Judge Shea then the regular Justice !:
the case came up afterwards on appeal before
the General Term, and was there as
counsel for respondent; on the bench were Judges
Alkcr, Tracy and Gross; Judges Shea and Joachim
also In Court: Judge Curtis sat In front Of
| the bpnch durinp 10 ease Juu0p Curtis wrote mo