The San Francisco call., 1904-09-01
SUPREME COURT
GETS CHARGES
Accusation Against Lawyer
Collins Is Finished and
Presented for Judgment
DEFENDANT TO REPLY
Whole Proceeding Seems to
Be Hedged About With an
Undue Amount of Secrecy


The charges against Attorney George
D. Collins have at last been presented
to the Supreme Court Chief Justice
Beatty has the brief in his possession,
and the Associate Justices have been
notified to consider the accusation. Col
Inns presented his reply to the charges
four months ago, or as soon as he
learned that he was to be put under
fire.
Secrecy has been thrown about the
matter by, all concerned, and the fate
full document containing the charges
is guarded with jealous care.
One Of the committee of three ap
pointed to prepare the accusation ad
mitted last night that he had not re-
ceived a copy of the brief. The paper
was not filed with Chief Deputy Clerk
Tolle, as is customary in all official
proceedings, nor was Secretary Wash
burn trusted to inspect the document.
The chairman of the committee went
directly to the Chief Justice and in the
desk of that jurist the charges against
Collins are resting.
Judge Beatty regretted greatly he
said, that he could not make the ac-
cusation public. but if the court should
decide to take action he would place
all papers in the case on file. THE
other Judges he said, will read the
brief, and If they think Collins should
be made to answer an order to that
effect will be made. If the charges are
not deemed sufficient to warrant us in
taking action the matter will never
come up in open court
The accused attorney states that he
is prepared to give his opponents "a
battle royal" In addition to the an
swer which he has already filed, he will
Immediately prepare another. He al
leges that he is prosecuted and that he
can justify himself in ali of his profess
sional acts. He had made up his mind
that the charges would not be forth
coming.
Philip Galoin. one of the three mem
bers cf the San Francisco Bar Asso-
citation appointed by President William
Goo6fellow to pre1are the accusation,
stated last night that the charges pre-
sented to the Supreme Court were prac-
tically the same as but more elaborate
than those originally filed with the as
Collins was that he had made a false
affidavit to procure from the Hibernia
Bank a sum of money to which he was
in no way entitled. He is alleged to
have presented a pass book in the
name of Agnes Newman requesting the
amount due. which was about $1,000.
He showed an assignment and said
that Agnes Newman had been his wife,
and that she was dead. He is alleged
to have then made an affidavit in sup
port of his statements. 1t is charged in
this connection that he was the hus
band of Agnes Newmans sister. Char
lotta. and that she at the time was iv-
ing and undivorced
1t is also alleged that Collins secured
leave from the Superior Court to sell
certain pieces of real estate which he
knew had been bought in by the Hiber-
mia Bank at a mortgage sale. This Of
Tense is alleged to have been committed
during proceedings instituted by
Charles Robinson against Charles Pur-
rington. administrator of the estate of
plaintiffs mother. Caroline Robinson.
The Hibernia Bank subsequently had
the order of sale set aside. The third
charge is that Collins accused Superior
Judge Kerrigan of incompetency and
malfeasance in office. and that such ac-
'cIisations were untrue.
The Bar Association by very slight
majority voted to have the matter re-
ferred to the Supreme Court. President
GoodfelIow then appointed Frank Deer
ing William Denman and Philip CAL
pin to draw up the formal accusation.
Galpin states that the committee of
three appointed by Attorney Goodfel-
low prepared the charges. Attorney
Denn1an. one of the committee, assert