Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-08
A CHAT WITH HIS HONOR.
Judge White at Home Tells Some New
Phases of the Threatening
Letters Received by Him.

Judge White at Home Tells Some New
Phases of the Threatening
Letters Received by Him.
Judge White spent the entire day and
evening at his modest little home in Sewick-
ley yesterday. He did not attend
the public meeting of the townspeople
at night, but found ample work
in opening, reading and asserting
nearly 100 letters that came to him in the mails
from some of the most prominent citizens of
Pittsburg, Allegheny and other places These
letters extended congratulations to the Judge
for the stand he had taken both in the refusal of
licenses. and the manner in which he met
the attack upon him in the Legislature. The
Judge declined to let the names of his corre-
spondents be known, as they were private let
ters, although the reporters were permitted to
read many of them contidentially.
1t turns out that Judge White has also re-
ceived few letters of different nature. They
were anonymous in all cases, and in a few IN
stances were signed white Caps" They con-
tanned threats, both mild and alarming, but
His Honor. who even yet is perfectly fearless
in all his movements, laughs at the epistles as
the efforts of ignorant jokers to scare him.
When asked by the reporter to permit the
Shiras letters in the Schad license case to be
published IN The DISPATCH, the Judge re-
piled:
mo; cannot do that now. What is the
use? The fuss is all over at Harrisburg, and
while Mr.. Shiras was offended at me, I have no
desire to procrastinate the subject and keep
up excitement by making these letters public.
Mr., Shiras may have them though, If he wants
the newspapers to publish their contents"
''Will you accept Mr.. Shiras' invitation to
meet him in his office and hear so specific
charges against your Administrations
mo, sir; am not so foolish as to go
to Mr.. Shiras' private Office for
any such purpose. know nothing about 80
specific charpes.' "
Then, in reply to a series of questions cover
ing sensational street gossip about the manner
in which licenses were granted, Judge White
said:
II knew nothing about politics in the First
ward Ny information about the reputa-
tion Of saloon keepers there came
tics. % ye never was % in Consultation siEt %1th RGi
the heads of city departments but once. That
was when sent for Chief Brown to tell him of
evidence which which l had received as to
license. He was accompanied by
Chief Elliot. but the latter had nothing what
ever TO say. No one living knew who were to
get licenses but myself. did not even let my
stenographer know. The only change made
on the list after it was made up finally was in
the case of P. ]. Foley, whom struck off the
list.
'If feel as do now year hence shall
resign rather than accept the hard work and
responsibility of the License Court again. 1
never said Judge Ewing shirked.. That was a
mistake. | only said that he felt it incumbent
upon him not to give up the court he was then
holding"
Judge White remembers with ease every
license mentioned to MIN, whether refused or
granted, no matter in what part of the county
or cities. And, as the reporter found by test
ing him, he states without referring to notes
his reasons for refusing each license.
He will hold court to-day. Josiah Cohen said
yesterday that he would be on hand to-day to
see what formal disposition Judges White and
Magee make of the petitions for rehearings If
they are marked Refused" then records will
be asked for to appeal to the Supreme Court,
as John Robb has done for the bottlers.