Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-28
Ordered to Stop Auto Speeding.

Il was requested by the seiectmsn on
Saturday afternoon to keep watch on au-
tomobiles in the S;ockbridge main street,
because there had been so many complaints
that the speed laws here were being vio-
lated l had a section of half mile
the main street measured off, and with
stop watch on Sunday afternoon kept watch
on the automoblists.
Il saw Mr.. Gurney sweep up and down
the street three times and he was going
at least twenty-five miles an hour. | called
out to him to stop and he did willingly.
He gave me his card and said that he would
be at the Servin cottage in LenoX dill not
place him under arrest at that time, be-
cause l had no warrant
Il secured one yesterday morning and
went directly to Lenox. He tried to bluff
me and said he was not answerabIe to the
laws of America. He said that he was a
subject of King Edward of England and
therefore nothing could be done with him
by the officers and court of Lee. He found
that bluff didn't work with me-
Lenox Sympathy With Justice.
Because of the prominence of Mr.. Cur
ney in Lenox society the International ept-
sode was the talk of the day in Lenox. At
the hotels, the Lenox Club, in the post Of
flee corridor and in the cottages Mr.. Cur
ney's appeal was discussed. Although Mr..
Gurney has been highly thought of in tho
exclusive Lenox society. wel-known men
did not hesitate to say that their sympathy
was entirely with the Lee justice who fined
him, and surprise was expressed that he
had made much fuss over the incident.
Early in the day 1t was reported that
Judge Phelps had said that If he found he
had made a mistake in the Gurney affair
he would gladly apologize to the British
diplomat. Beyond that he had nothing to
say. He had not up to that time received
any official communication regarding the
matter. Judge Phelps said that the incl
dent had not been rpnOrtpd Mr.
Gurney, he said, was not obliged to sit in
the dock with other prisoners, but entered
1t after the other business had been dis
posed of.
English Papers Views.
LONDON, September 2S-The Westmin-
ster Gazette this afternoon accurately sums
up the official opinion of the incident re-
sulting from the fining by Justice Phelps
of Lee, Mass, of Hugh Gurney, third secre-
tary of the British embassy at Washington,
for violating the speed law relating to au-
tomoblleS and Tor contempt of court, say
ing:
1T seems desirable that gentlemen con-
nected with the legations should keen on
the safe side of local law when they use
motor cars, but if perchance they trans
gress the simplest, quietest plan is perhaps
TO waive their privilege and pay the fine
No little annoyance is exhibited in off cial
quarters here at the claim made by Mr..
Gurney for diplomatic exemption, with the
consequent publicity over a trining affair.
1t is recalled, however, that when the son
of Henry White, secretary of the American
embassy in London, and Spencer Eddy in
1899, when he was third secretary of the
embassy, were summoned here for riding
bicycles on a foot path similar exemption
was claimed and reference was then made
to the statute of 17OS whereby any British
official acting Justice Phelps did toward
a diplomat became amenable not only to
severe penalties, but even to fogging
The Westminster Gazette comments the
attitude of the American press in the Cur
ney matter, as showing its good sense"