The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-23
DELIBERATE PLAN
TO ENTRAP JURIST

WASHINGTON, D. c. Special
Inc investigation into charges against
Judge Robert w. Archibald. OF the
commerce Court, by the Judiciary
longed.
The inquiry has developed circum-
stances not mentioned in the original
charges. Certain documents have
oeen turned over TO the committee
since the Attorney General delivered
the papers in his possession. These
tacts have caused the committee to
case.
Sunday a deputy sergeant-at-arms
OF the rouse left for Scranton and
other placeS In Pennsylvania to serve
subpoenss on witnesses whose names
were not disclosed.
witnesses have been subpoenaed to
appear as late as a week from next
Tuesday. W. P. Boland, OF the
MARION Coal Company, of Scranton.
VINO made the original charges against
Judge Archibald. will be called to the
stand. Before he II called, however.
the committee took the testimony of
Charles E Cockrell. a clerk for
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
VINO TOOK the notes on the original
charges against Judge Archibald when
w. P. Boland disclosed them to Com
missioner b. H. Meyer.
These notes were taken to Presi-
dent Taft and formed the basis for
the investigation begun by the De
partment of Justice last February.
Among new witnesses summoned is
U. r. Browne1. general counsel and
first vice president of the Erie Rail-
road.
According to Edward ]. Williams,
Judge Archibald sought BrownelIs in
fluence In negotiations for the Katy
did culm bank option, after Captain
May had declined 20 give the option.
How w. p. Boland, after a ten
year fight. laid a trap to ensnare Judge
ROBERT W. Archibald, OF the Commerce
Court, was rehearsed before the ju-
dietary committee by Allen B. Cock
reil, confidential clerk OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, at the
opening OF the inquiry into the charges
against Judge Archibald today.
Cockren said that Boland, as his
first step in the trap, had advised e.
j. Williams, a friend of Judge Arch
bald, Of the existence Of the culm
bank, belonging to the Erie Railroad,
caused Boland an expense of about
$4,000.
In Cockrelrs testimony Judge Arch
bald was not mentioned by name, but
was referred to as "a" The sub
stance Of the statement was that
Archibald had attempted to influence
not only Boland. but Charles Conn.
OF the Laurel Electric Line, and At
torney Brownell, OF the Erie Railroad
20 put through the deal which meant
$4,000 proft
j. H. Rittenhouse was the next wit
ness. He made the survey of the
culm pile for the Department of Jus
tice, and introduced before the COM
mittee firuges and maps indicating the
profit 10 the Erie Railroad for work
ing this pile would have been about
$4,000. The total pile was many
thousand tons. he said, and of this 81
per cent. was coal.
Estimating the total value OF coal
at $4,000. he figured the profit on
the pile alone, minus expense. would
have been $35,OC0, and the railroad
would have made up the remainder
on transportation charges. Had the
Laurel Electric Line purchased the
culm pile they would have had a
fuel supply lasting approximately
three years. he said.
This culm pile represented the ac-
cumulauons from many different
mines. 1t took about twenty years to
get the total accumulation there. AS
near as I could learn the title to the
/ bank was divided between the Erie
Railroad and the Eberhart estate. and
no lease had ever been granted on
any part OF it,