Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-18
THE P!RIIE-WARD CASE.
All Attempts at Investigation
Promptly Squelched.
"This Court Does Not Care What
the People Think"
The Proceedings Yesterday in Judge
Smiths Court = All the Inside
Facts suppressed-Mr. Ry-
ans Logical Claim.

superior court, before Judge B
N. Smith. The parties to the
fraudulent naturalization, which in,
volved a mutilation of the rec.
ords and false swearing, were very loud
in their demands for full and complete
Investigations of the case until it came
up in court, and then they united in q
demand that all investigation be choked
off. Their demand was allowed by the
court. The Judge, in cutting off all of the
avenues leading to the investigation
used the following very pointed Ian.
guage: This court does not care what
the people think" Nevertheless the
people will think, and they intend to
keep thinking, until the time comes
when they can express their thoughts
at the ballot box. 2S -sl
THE FACTS sQUELCHED.
The charge that the people of this
county we're principally interested in,
was how the records of the court came
to be altered, changed and mutilated.
John A. Pirtle claimed that he saw A.
B. Whitney, the present tax collector of
this county, change them in the pres-
ence OF the county clerk.
But upon this point the judge rules
out all testimony. Pirtle brings a civil
action to have the fraudulent naturali-
cation of Taylor cancelled. The COM
plant is SO worded that all evidence GO
ing to show that the. county records
were tampered with, and that as re-
suit of that tampering, the fraud in
fu orrio At7f ;c
it said to Mr.. Pirtle's credit that he was
attorneys in pursuing this course, and
demonstrated with them. He wanted
the testimony of all parties to be taken.
but Judge Smith would not permit it.
INTERvENoR RYAN SHUT OUT.
Mr. w. A. Ryan intervened, as he
had right to do, in the case, on behalf
of the people. In civil action, such as
this one was, any interested party has a
right to intervene. Certainly the peo-
pie of this county were interested in
knowing how and why those records in
the county clerks Office were doctored
by Tax Collector Whitney. Here was 9
chance for the information to come out,
but Judge Smith, with that keen and
sage-like wisdom for which he is noted,
refused to give the people an opportu-
nifty.
Not one word of sworn testimony
was taken in the court in the entire pro-
ceeding. The whole thing was rushed
through to avoid investigation.
THE PROCEEDINGS.
1t was about IL o'clock yesterday
morning when the court took up the
case Of John A. Pirtle against 7. HI.
Ward and Robert A. Taylor. The court
room was crowded with parties who
expected that fun investigation OF the
whole matter would be gone into.
AS soon as the complaint in the case
was read, George w. Knox, Esq., as
attorney for Robert A. Taylor, waived
filing written answer, but made
answer verbally, admitting all the allie,
cations set up in the complaint, the
material point of which was that the
plaintiff believed, 'and upon such in
formation and belief alleged that said
letters of naturalization so issued to the
said Taylor, as aforesaid, were illegal
and void, and that their illegality con-
sisted in the fact that the said Taylor
was not and had not been resident of
the United States five years preceding
the issue of said letters.
Then the county clerk-T. III. Ward
being present, waived an answer. 1t
looked as though the whole thing was
going through without protest on the
part of the people. Neither the district
attorney, nor any of his army of depu-
ties, were there to represent the people,
nor to make an Intervention.
MR.. RYAN's CLAIM.
But just at this point in the proceed
ings, w. A. Ryan, Esq., arose and ad-
dressed the court in substance as fol-
lows:
May it please the court, l desire to
make. statement to your honor in re-
gard to this case: A few moments ago
was informed in the sheriff's Office that
q complaint and summonses had been
handed into the Office for service, but
that they had not vet been served. |
therefore concluded that the matter
would not come in for hearing until after
service. l learned by the merest acci-
dent that something was being done in
the case, and felt it my duty to make a
statement to the court.
This is a somewhat peculiar case. Mr..
Pirtle, who is charged in the papers
with an offense, sues Mr.. Ward the
county clerk, and Mr.. Taylor, both OF
whom are publicly charged with COM
plicity in the same transaction.
Mr.. Ward and Mr.. Pirtle both have
said that they desire full and fair in
yestigation. No witnesses have been
subpenaed. although there are several
who are willing to come forward and
tell all they know about the matter.
The citizens of this county have an
interest in this case aside from that
which affects the parties to the suit.
Many of them feel that the only way to
find out the truth is to have an attorney
here as amicus curi@ to examine and
cross-examine Witnesses. He can only
come in by permission of your honor, as
q friend Of the court. am informed
that George !. Denis, Esq, expected to be
present at the hearing of the case, and
make application to appear as a friend
OF the court. He is not here, and hif
absence ia no doubt due to the hasty
manner in which this hearing has beer
brought on. Again, it is said, your
honor has had conversation with Mr.
Pirtle, ,-and may be needed as a. witness
In the case. II these gentlemen want q
full investigation. let the case be contin
ued Tor few days, SO 4tth at at the witnesses
may be Bubpmnaed, and an attorney
procured to represent the interests OF th,
people at large. AS / may be witness
cannot, OF course, appear as attorney
in the case, and can only request tha
the hearing ha poetnonad for a faur Iax,e