The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-10

The Matter of His Disbarmenf.

The matter of petition of disblrment OF John
y. WiDship, esq, was called up by Hon. w.
L.. Putnam in the Supreme Court before Judge
Virgin yesterday morning. Mr.. Putnam said:
Nay 1t please your H0noJ-In behalf of the
Cumberland Bar Association, brothers Libby,
Walker and myself havs been directed to lay
before the court the case If Mr.. Winship aud
proceed for his disbarment. | have drawn
petition. Last winter statute was passed
providing for proceedings in cases of this char
scter. the last section of which reads: "This act
shall not be construed to annul or restrict any
authority hitherto possessed or exercised by the
courts over attorneys So that, as the com.
mittee understand it, the court, notwithstand-
ing that statute, has full common law powers.
AS this is a matter which arose previous TO that
statute We have made, in oar petition, no al
losion to the statute. l desire that your Honor
will make such notice as to you seems proper;
it seems TO me that the notice should be four
teen days at least. And if your Honor could
hold the term for that length of time, go as to
maze the notice returnable 10 term time it
would meet the wishes of the committee
The court ordered personal notice by copy of
the petition and order of court returnable April
2Sth.
The following is the petition:
4othe Honorable justices of the Supreme Judi
ctat Court, sitting at Portland, aoithin and for
The County of Cumberland:
Il specially represent William L. Potnam
George Walker ard CHARLES f. Libby, all of
Portland, in said county, that they are attor-
neyS OF this Honorable court and a committee
appointed hereto BY the Cumberland Bar As
ISOLATION, that John 0. Wiuship of said Port
land, was admitted at the October term, A. D.,
1870, and still is an attorney and counsellor of
this court, and has since said admission be-
come and now is disqualified and an unsuitable
person for the Office of attorney at law and
counsellor of this court and of the courts of this
state, because,-A the December term, A. D.,
1878, of the District Court of the United States
for the District of Maine he was convicted and
sentenced to Imprisonment ia the jaii of this
county for unlawful conspiracy to commit an
offence against the laws of the United States
as appears more fully by the record thereof,
transcript of which is annexed to and made
part OF this Information. B cause by virtue of
said conviction ard judgment given thereon,
said Winship is now serving term of impris-
onment for crime in the Jail of the county of
Cumberland. Because the said offence of
which he was convicted was of infamous char
acter, cT9f'aen fdlsi, and said conviction and
judgment are Therefore sufficient at common
law to annul his oath in a court of law.
Wherefore your informants pray your HonoTs
that after due notice to said Winship, your
HonoIs will direct suoh proceedings that SAID
WinshiD may be removed from his said office
of attorney aud counsellor, and that bis name
may be stricken from the roll of attorneys, and
that such further proceedings ba had 10 the
premises as are meet and proper. And as in
duty bouLd will ever pray
WILLIAM L PUTNAM.
GEORGE WALKER
CHARLES f. LIBBY.
April 9, 1879.
All thres of tbs committee were present in
Gnnrt