Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-10
After Return Says He Has Asked His
Friends 10 Stand by Him.
LAYS REMOVAL TO FALSE REPORTS
Insists that Extravsgspt RumOrS Were
Sent to Washington,
WILL NOT MAKE PLANS PUBLIC NOW
MRthews' Son Says Loss of once Is
Nothing as Compared with
Odium of the Re-
movaI.

T. l.. Mathews the retiring United States
marshal. returned Saturday evening from
Fremont, where he had gone earlier in the
day to consult with Republican National
Committeeman r. b. Schneider relative to
his summary dismissal from ofiice. Hc was
then willing for the first time TO discuss
the matter publicly and declared:
1T would be imprudent for me to say
anything at this time to what steps
shall take to secure a vlndication. How
ever / may say that ] have asked my
friends in Washington including the entire
Nebraska congressional delegation, to as
sist in my vindlcation. My letter TO Sec
retary Moody is in itself self-explanatory
and there is very little that can add TO it
THE question seems to arise over the
false and extravagant report that after
Richards and Comstock had been sentenced
by the court I not only turned them over
to their attorney, r. s. Hall, without war
rant, but that / was with them in a jaunt
about the saloons and restaurants and ac-
companied them to the theater, giving
them a good time generally. This report,
which has been made much of, is an abso-
Lutte and unqualified lie and without the
slightest semblance of truth. The simple
JdClS Oh ING CdSh dI6 Nidl WICH HiNidIuS
and Comstock were sentenced I was not in
the court room and did not hear the sem
tence imposed at the time. I did learn OF
its purport few moments later and took
the two men into custody.
Hall an Omcer of Court.
"R. s. Hall, their attorney, is a practi-
toner before the United States courts and
gentleman Of unmpeachable integrity
n. oF I,t. lor and
practitioner before the federal courts he is
and was an officer of the court. He asked
that he be designated as the custodian of
his two clients who were also men Of the
| highest character and integrity, during the
six hours of their ltechnical imprisonment.
Mr. Hall stated that he would take them
| to the Omaha club and remain with them
| there during the six hours and did so as a
! special officer under my direction The
party did not leave the Omaha club dur
! ius- lie entire sl, oars alld Iswas ia can
stant touch with them and knew where
they were every moment OF that time.
"The order of the court did not state
that Mess-s. Richards and Comstocx
should be imprisoned in the Douglas county
JAIL but simply that they should be int
I 1Ysoned in the custody of the United
| States marshal You will recollect that
in passing sentence upon these nen, Judge
Munger said that thoy were not guilty OF
any moral turpitude, and that their Of
fense was merely statutory one. The
natural presumption followed that judge
Munger did not expect me 10 exercise Larsh
measures toward these men, nor lid feel
disposed to do so under theii sentence and
under the circumstances. l may have been
guilty of technical fault in not holding
these men in my office under guard with
a pistol pointed in their face telling them
TO sit there for the six hours. Sentence
was PASSED about 4:30 or o'clock and It
was near dinner time, aud did not 80
construe my duties as to handcuff these
men and put leg irons on them aud take
them to a hotel or restaurant and feed
them.
Feels GulItIess of Wrong.
mr sbou Certainly ask for a vindicat ton
and feel confident that when all the real
facts are known l shall not be deemed
guilty of moral turpitude in extending to
| these men a courtesy that was perfectly
within my province as an officer OF the
government.
81 feel deeply grateful for the many ex'
pressions OF kindness that have greeted me
! from my friends in all quarters OF the
state I'm this unfortunate matter. / have
no idea az this time who will be named
as my successor; in fact have beer
prettv busy for the last day or so and
have not vet outlined my plans. shall
act entirely upon the advice Of my friend'
| an the matter and cannot say whether
shall go TO Washington and lay my case
before the president personally or not.
I'm reference to the article in the New
York Sun which retails the story Of mS
| -
saloons and restaurants while they wer,
my prisoners have not yet fully deter
mined what shall do. but in all likeli
hood I may proceed against that pubica
| ton for criminal libel"
Chief Deputy Marshal Earl Mathews soi
, | of the deposed official, said:
The loss OF the Office Is nothing, bu
my father does not like to rest under th'
stigma that the removal implies"
Court Proceeding Blocked.
As soon as the notice Of removal wal
received Friday evening, the proceeding
I of the Office were at once suspended an,
/ Witnesses who were summoned for mmedi
! ate appearance were notified to disregan
the summons until further orders Moth
4 ing can be done until a temporary appoint
Z ment is made and neither can any wit
| nesses or juror fees be paid until some on
is authorized TO sign the necessary checks
The summary removal Of Marshal Math
ews from office has the effect Of tenn
porarily blocking all court proceedings O
q the federal building, particularly as re
CARDS the criminal proceedings in IN
T: United States district court. This estopps
| Of work lies in the legal inability 10 serv
subpoenas and summonses for wtdesse,
n The case of II. Marowitz, a pawabroke
indicted for receiving government propert
y In pawn which was to have oeen trie
4 Saturday morning has been passed for thi
reason. No criminal cases can be trle
n until a United states marshal is dppointe
, | temporarily 10 succeed Mr.. Mathews I
serve the necessary papers The cour
y would be incomplete without the presenc
!, Of that important official. This peculia
case does not, however, apply 20 thc civ
= cases, and the hearing OF these cases vi
1e resumed Monday, with the case Q
y ! hughes, against the Western Constructs