The Washington herald., 1912-06-01
ELUSIVE WITNESS
is RUN TO EARTH
Continued from PaEe One.

son suggested $4,000 as q price for set
Element Of all disputes between the rail-
road and the Marion Coal Company. We
rejected the offer, which applied only to
/ the rate disputes with the Marion Com
pany, believing that company could not
recover at most over 1900 damages l
had no communication with Judge Arch
bald about the matter. never saw him
before in my life until to-day.H
DO you recall being told the Judge
was actively interested in the deal to
sell the Marion property Chairman
Clayton asked.
Yes. sir" replied the railroad presI-
dent. Il was somewhat puzzled about
the judges interest, but figured II out
he was taking a friendly or neighborly
interest in the affaIr. II struck me as
somewhat unusual however We did
follow the judges suggestion. or request,
to hold conferences with Watson re-
garding the settlement"
After you had heard of the judges
interest, or activity asked Chairman
Clayton.
Tried Case In Papers.
Yes. sir" said Mr.. TruesdeI: after
We had heard Of IT,"
Every opportunity the Marion people
their extravagant claims and charges In
the newspapers-tried their case in the
papers"
The Lackawanna head said Judge
Archibald requested Vice President
Loomis to give Attorney Watson a hear
ing last August
IF the Judge had not requested the
conference Il would not have been held -
suggested Representative Webb OF North
Carolina.
Well, not so soon. probably" replied
NJ. TruesdeIl
The railroad officials testimony bears
directly upon former charges that Arch
bald was a partner OF Watson to split"
large commission II the Marion prop
erty could be sold to the railroad at a
good price.
Judge Archibald suggested that ~ Mr..
LOOMS would call on Attorney Watson
he would indi that the particular. case
could ~be settled on fair basis.A Mr..
Loomis had one OF his representatives
call on the Bolands and wrote Judge
Archibald that there was no prospect OF
settlement with the Bolsnds owing to
the demands made by them. Judge Arch
bald expressed regret over the failure
Of the negotiations. and ventured the
hope that the matter might yet be set
tied without recourse to the courts.
It was brought out that Mr.. Watson
was not an attorney of record in the
case. The witness was asked II It did
not strike him as peculiar that Watson
was brought into the case as a mediator
at the Instance Of Judge Archibald. Mr..
Loomis replied in the negative.
Who did you think the judge was
representing in the Transaction asked
Representative Webb.
II looked on him as a friend Of our
company and a friend OF the Bolands,
and thought he wanted to patch up the
trouble" said the witness.
Did It not strike you as unseemly on
the part Of Judge Archibald that he
should appear in a transaction OF this
kind
4 Friendly Act.
NO" replied the witness. Il looked
Uron II as a friendly act Of the judges"
Mr.. Loomis said so far as. he knew
this was the first case Of the kind
wherein Judge Archibald had shown an
interest
Did the Judge ever suggest that the |
lighterage case might be settled out Of
court?" asked Representative Webb.
No" responded the witness.
General Counsel Jenny. Of New York, |
testified relative to the complaint made |
by the Marion Coal Company to the In
terstate Commerce Commission. explain |
ing Judge Archbald's interest in the |
Marion Coal Company Mr.. Jenny said /
he had been informed that Attorney 1
Watson was instrumental in having the
district court established in Scranton;
that the judge accordingly felt under
some obligation, and desired. IL possible,
to assist Watson in getting along.
. Did you know that Mr.. Watson had
not appeared in Judge Archbald's court
for years, and that, apparently, they
were not on good terms?' asked Repre-
sentative Webb. II
NO, sir: I did not know that" re-
sponded the witness.
c. L. Munson,- Of wilhamsport, Pa, a
lawyer who practiced before Judge Arch
bald, was asked IL he had contributed to
a fund subscribed by lawyers to send
Judge Archibald to Europe. He repliedrin
the negative. The witness said he was
asked by Searle, clerk Of Judge Arch
bald's court, to contribute to a testi-
monial in the form Of purse that 1t
was proposed to present the day the
Judge sailed. Mr.. Munson declared that
he refused to make a contribution as
suggested. He thought the proposal was
Inethical; that 1t would be improper for
either Judge or practitioner to participate
IN such an affair. Mr.. Munson spoke in
The highest terms OF Judge Archibald as a
Iurist and man.