Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-12
THE ATTORNEYS RESIGN.
1 Sensation at the District Building
Today.

i
A Sensation at the District Building
| Today.
| NR. RIDLLE INDUCED BY RECENT coMMuNIcA-
TONS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS TO SEVER
HIS RELATIONS WITH THE DIsrRIcT-rHE LET
TIERS OF RESIGNATION.
Hon. A. G. Riddle. attorney for the District,
and Mr.. Henry E. Davis, the assistant attorney,
today forwarded to the Commissioners their res
ignations, which have been accepted. Mr.. Rid
dies resignation takes effect December 1, and
that of Mr.. Davis November 1. The announce
ment Of the designations made today caused
| quite sensation at the District
| buildings. 1t has been expected for
some days that there would be important
changes made among the District officials
| and TIE STAR recently stated the fact. but it
was not generally known what changes were
| to occur.
THE LETTERS OF RESIGNATION.
Mr.. Riddles letter Of resignation, dated to-
| day, was addressed to the president of the
board OF Commissioners and simply stated:
II beg to resign the Office of attorney for the
| District Of Columbia, to take effect on the LIST
| day of December next ensuing"
Mr.. Davis letter, also dated today, said:
II hereby tender my resignation of the Of
| nee OF assistant attorney Of the District Of
| Columbia, to take effect November 1. Con-
| sideration Of very personal interests long since
| commended this step to me, and have re-
| Trained from taking it only for q reason
no longer existing. I shall remember
with pleasure my relations to the Office, and beg
| 70 express my high appreciation of the uni
/ COnrtaav mr. iIorof ipv, 0f-
have been the recipient at the hands Of your
selves and your predecessors and the associates
| OF both in the administration Of the District
affairs"
Mr.. Riddle is the oldest in service Of the
District officials, having been appointed to his
has held the Office of assistant attorney since
July, 1885.
WHAT THEY SAY.
When STAR reporter called this afternoon
at the Office of Messrs. Riddle 4 Davis, on
Louisiana avenue, and asked regarding the
| causes leading to the resignation, Mr.. Davis
| said:
Certain communications between Mr.. Rid
die and the Commissioners recently have in
duced Mr.. Riddle to believe that it is best that
ne should sever his relations with the
has resigned his Office, to take effect
| on the first of December When I be-
came aware Of this situation at once rendered
my resignation to take effect on the first Of
November. In an interview with the
sire that the severance Of our relations
with the District should be simultaneous that I
| should defer leaving Office until the LIST of De-
cember, but l preferred to stand by my original
determination to withdraw the LIST of November.
While there is some work in the Office that can
not properly be closed until the first Of Deem
T. should not be relieved "SiA from
official duties on the first Of November
and accordingly we presented our several res
ignations to take effect ON the separate dates"
HOW MR.. RIDDLE TOOK OFFICE.
Mr.. Riddle, speaking to The STAR reporter, said
that he was moved to take the Office in the fall
of 1877 by Commissioner Dennison, Phelps and
the conclusion Of litigation in some
very important cases, he believed
that it would be good time
to close his official relations with the District,
but the Commissioners refused then to
entertain such a proposition from him.
Commissioners have been preparing number
of rooms at the District building for the occu-
pancy of the attorney, with the view of re-
quiring the business Of the Office to be
conducted there: This. he said, would make it
impossible for him to continue in the Office.
Both Mr.. Davis and MIR. Riddle said the ex-
| actions made recently upon the attorneys Of.
flee were such as to compel them TO with
draw.
Mr.. Riddle said he had deferred the date of
his departure from Office to such a time as
would enable him to close up affairs
pending in his Office, which might embarrass
his successor.
He intended to stand by the Commits
sioners in the case in which they
were under indictment-the South Washing ton
railway case, and did not propose to let any Dis
trict interest suffer by his retirement so far as
he could help it,
Mr.. Riddle said the communications with the
Commissioners that had induced him to resign
were Of a verbal character. He was convinced
by what was said to him that it was best that he
should resign at this time.
MR.. RIDDLES SUCCESSOR.
The name Of Mr.. George Hazleton, ex-Rep-
resentative from Wisconsin, who was
mentioned prominently as q candidate
for Commissioner when Mr.. Douglass
was appointed is spoken of as one
who may succeed Mr.. Riddle Mr.. Halle
ton, it is said, will meet opposition
reform those who think that District lawyer,
engaged in practice before the District Courts
and familiar with District law, should be ap-