Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-02
FOUR YEARS PORTO RICO
EXPERIENCE STRENUOUS
Champion Points Out That He
Has Been Reversed On Only
One Appeal Banquet Given
Retiring Jurist by Bar,

Times" Of san Juan. Porto Rico.
The following from that paper VIII
furnish more or less information as
to the circumstances under which Mr..
Rodcy leaves the island:
~Ascertnining that Judge Rodey was
Porto Rico. for which he has
secured a leave Of absence, a repre-
sentative Of The Times called on him
to learn whether he would come back
as Judge or not. but at present the
Judge does not think he knows him
self. The judges term expires on June
i6.
tie stated that he may come back as
Judge. or he may come back to prac-
tlce law. or he may go home to New
Mexico, especially If tho statehood bill
passes, or he may stay in Washington
or in New York and practice law. or
he may be sent somewhere else in the
nation by the president.
When he came on this federal bench
-four years ago. the dockcts were
crowded with old chanccry cases five
or six years old, and some Of them.
like the Tornabells, C%anovanas, oil
vieri cases and in two and a half
years he had them all cleaned up.
He has been most Industrious. as
evidenced by the information given
by all the bar. and has during the time
he has been here. written four six
hundred page volumes OF Porto Rico
federal reports, which are 10Y dis
tributcd in all law Libraries Of the
entire United States, South America
Central America end the Philippines.
Volume V will be out In a Few days.
It is said hat hc has decided some
OF the most Intricate questions that
were eve decided In a territory or
dependency. Among these may be
mentioned many land questions re-
garding posesoriu ana dominic titles;
the provisional court eases: the eff
fort OF Herminio Diaz and ooh y
Cucni 10 enioin payments under the
first Olmstead lazy: II ctfort TO use
the people of Porto Rico without their
consent, the great T%ornabelles case
and many others.
one thing he has done for the law
yers, for which they all appear to be
truly grateful. is that he has appoint
ed few masters In chancery, but in
stead. heard the eases IN open court
himself and decided thcm at once on
the arguments and briefs without
necessity Of all the expenses involved
in q trial in the old way.
More than fifty appeals were taken
from his decisions 10 Tho supreme
court Of the United States, and on the
merits he has been reversed in only
ono. the Laborde case. ana even as to
ease his opinion in L. II. Fed.
shows that he had sneh grave doubts
about letting the verdict stand thai
he felt 1t ought to be certified to the
court to settle the questions
oG law. as no matter which side lost,
other would have appealed. The
defendant in that ease, however, fool
failed to give T. sllpcrscdeas bond
md Is now having difficulty in recoy-
sring all his money after the reversal.
although he will recOvcr q large part
If It.
In All the other cases yet reached
" the supreme court, he has been af-
irinod without exception. such as tho
rornabcllcs case. the Romeu-Todd
.asc. the three Naldcs cases. the Pro-
.%isional court cases, II many others,
of the most important questions
tppcalcd from his decision are still
pending before the supreme court Of
United states and several Of them
we're argued, recently and are now UNI
Ter consideration there.
one othci cysc was lcvcifcd on .
.c%chnicality Tor lack OF Jurisdiction
{ WAS the Asilu dc pamas case from
'oncc. Judge Holt had held that
q concern WIS q spanish cor
.,oration but Judge Isodcy doubted
he holding. and 20 stated in his
but Guns FOR both sides
.onccdcd the Jurisdiction. Tho SUI
count OF the United Statcs rc-
used to conccdc il and dismissed Tho
.asc en- that ground. It Is now before
he supreme court of The island on
he merits.
As he leaves. the sudge has an bis
YORK absolutely up TO date. There is
lot a single matter of any Kind or
.nsractcr that is al issue and ready
or trial that has not been disposed o.
n one way or another as he takes his
acation.
The banquet this evening To Judge
touncN. which the members of the
have arranged ans ID fitting send
.ff to the Judge. on his departure for
he states. will be held al o'clock
instead of nt 5. as previously ar.
So that those who desire may
ttena tho t~..eption To The now atfor-
lev general al he palace.
Nf rsoet.r 4 brown will himself
"a nresont ar mo anouc ana has
romisra IL nskc 4 rpeoch. Air.
,,nu,n has r.iIe ,ennfauon ais an
a., .1i,,. .naak., snd mo Nom
~ ~nar, ~ si,. nm nm
III. dona =, snnn ntens-