The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-08-21
PUGH'S INSULTS"
MUST BE PROBEO
His Chief Ordered to lnveS-
tigate Alleged Insolence
to Witness.
Andrew \. Taylor Calls
Prosecutor Deliberately
Insulting" and Brutal.

The complaint made TO the District
Commissioners by Andrew D. Taylor, an
employe OF the War Department,
against Assistant Corporation Counsel
Pugh. alleging disceurteOus treatment,
will be referred TO E. II. Thomas. Cor
poration Counsel, for investigation.
Mr. Taylor's letter 70 the Commission
ers Is as follows:
II take 1t that II is the hrst duty OF
those in governing authority 10 protect
those governed from insult.
Under subpoena as a witness for the
defense on the trial in the Police Court
Of Officers Fletcher and Cuiiinnane. /
attended, much against my inclination.
at a pecunlary loss on account OF my
absence from my duties in the War De-
partment and Al great personal fncon-
venience, and some discomfort, as l had
just come from under the care of d
physician. and was not physically Mt or
or able 70 attend
"Most InsOlent Air"
After I had given my direct, testi-
mony. the District government, on
cross-exanination by It's prosecuting Of
fcer. James l. PUgh, jr.. made a
vicious. unprovoked. and wholly un-
warranted attack upon me. After get
ting me to locate on a diagram exactly
where I was standing at the time I saw
what ! had related In the course of my
examination, he turned 10 me with a
most insolent air of triumph. and before
a courtroom packed with people, said:
the t ann told s 10Y were b not there s st
answer that Il was there" Just as l
had testified 10 under oath. and further
said:
III !. had not been there, certainly
would not have been here"
Mr. Pugh then said:
How many times have YOU been ar
rested 2. to which / replied: Never
Why, I am told you have been al
ready arrested three times
Deliberately Insulting"
What warrant OF law, Of justice. or
OF fair dealing would countenance a
prosecuting officer thus deliberately in
sulting and humilating a witness in or
der to obtain a ''convictiOn2"
Il would seem to a layman-snd wtthal
somewhat inexperienced one in such
anairs-that such a course OF conduct
IS uniting to any man holding the posi-
ton Of prosecuting officer for this dis
tTict, as, instead Of affOrding that pro-
lection which every citizen has the
right to expect when called upon 10
perform the always dtSa gTee0ble duty
OF being a witness in any case, your
representative has gone out of his way
10 stigmatze and blacken my character,
favorable to him
If reputable people are not TO be pro-
tected from insult, humiliation, and dis
grace when called upon as a witness in
this District; If representative officers
OF this District government are TO be
allowed TO continue IN such q course of
conduct as was persisted in by Mr.
Pugh on the above occasion, then bully
ing and brow-beating viii become ram
pant, and justice but q byWOrd. for no
reputable person viii ever appear as
witness to be thus subjected to humilia-
ton and shame, If by any possibility
such can be avoided
Pugh Denies All.
The questions which I asked Mr..
Taylor in the course Of my cross-eX-
animation were simply those which
would have asked any person There
was absolutely nothing in their manner
Of delivery or construction which could
possibly be considered discourteous."
With this statement Assistant Corpor-
ate Counsel PUgh this morning denied
the charges made by Mt. Taylor.
in the letter written by Mr.. Taylor,
continued the Assistant Corporation
Counsel 'I see that the gentleman has
taken deep ofTense at my insinuating
that he was not present at the time of
the occurrence which he testified TO.
AT the time I asked the question Of
him I had information from one Of the
present, and my question was simply
put IN order that I might find out
whether he was at the place he claimed
to be.
Had Perfect Right"
During the whole OF my cross-ex-
animation I did not once assume an
fnsolent air Of triumph or put any OF
my questions 'brutally and with a sheer
The question OF his previous incarcera-
ton was one which l had a perfect
right 20 ask, providing I had sufficient
grounds for asking II, as I did.
Had 1 been guilty of any breach OF
etiquette, I feel confident that Judge
O'Neal would have called my attention
10 ii, and as he let the remark 20 un-
challenged I feel confident that there
was nothing In my tone which could be
construed as insulting.
ION the whole. I consider the matter
too trihing 20 pay any attention to-
and certainly viii not make any an
swer other than the one published here"