Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-05-18
LAID TRAP FOR
JUDGE ARCHIBALD
BOIand Determined TO Unfit Him
For The Bench
RELATES TEM-YEAR FIGHT
Commerce Commission Clerk Testifies
How cuIm Deal Was Perfected to
Catch Judge.

Catch Judge.
A purported deliberate plan OF w.
p. Boiand the Scranton. Pa. coal op.
orator. who originated the charges
against Judge Robert w. Archibald. Of
the commerce court. to entrap the
jurist in an embarrassing transaction,
was revealed before the house judi
clary committee In Washington which
is investigating the case to determine
whether any Impeachment proceedings
shall be instituted by the senate.
Allan II. Cockrell. confidential Sec
retary OF the interstate commerce
commission. read TO the committee the
memorandum of w. +. Boland's origi-
nal statement OF the charges against
Judge Archibald Boland. according 10
the memorandum. told Interstate Com
merce Commissioner Meyer that he
purposely sought to entrap Judge
Archibald in the katydid culm bank
transaction after a demurrer in suit
against his coal company had been de-
cided against him in Judge Archbald's
court.
Boland declared that he sent f. J.
Williams to Archibald to lure him into
the katydid culm option deal with the
Erie railroad after Williams had come
TO him with Judge Archbald's note for
discount
Boland refused 10 discount the note.
and subsequently his demurrer was
decided against him. In making the
charges Boland admitted. according 10
Cockrell. that he used Williams in an
effort TO involve the judge In dis
creditable transaction.
The memorandum set forth that
some years ago the Marion Coal COM
pany. owned by the Boland brothers.
had as manager a man named Peel,
who was discharged and filed suit for
breach of contract. demurrer was
filed in this case. and W. p. Boland
declared that 4. ]. Williams came TO
him with $500 note signed by Judge
Archibald. asking him to discount It.
Boland refused to discount II and the
demurrer was not sustained, and the
case Is still pending.
statement that Boland was much
aroused and determined to trap"
Judge Archibald in some deal which
would unfit him for the bench. Boland
thereupon. according to the memoran-
dun, set this trap with the katydid
culm bank transaction with the Erie
railroad as the vehicle and. Edward j.
Williams as the agent in this plan. All
this was while the "lighterage" case
was pending in the commerce court.
The negotiations were carried out un.
I'll Boland exposed them to the gov
ernment officials.
MIR. Boland was so full OF his ten
years fight for his rights said Mr..
Cockrell. 'tha; his narrative required
seeyral hours TO tell. but In the memo.
randum merely set down the salient
points"
Mr.. cockrell participated In the con-
ference with Attorney General Wick
ersham later when the Bolsnds relat.
ed their charges TO him.
He was asked II Edward J. VIII
liams. when Attorney General Wicker.
sham showed him Photographic copies
OF the papers In the case. had repu-
dated any OF them. as he has since
done before the committee. will
liams did not dispute any OF the pa
pers. said Cockrell. "ile identified
them all and admitted that he had
signed them
Mr.. cockrell also said that Williams
identified the assignment contract In
which Judge Archibald was referred TO
ms n silent party" This Williams de.
MED before the committee. though
acknowledging his signature.
J. II. Ri;tenhouse. OF Scranton. q
civil and mining engineer. testified
that the number OF tons in the Katy
did culm dump aggregated more than
10000. II was negotiated for In the
option from the Erie BY Williams and
Judge Archibald as something over
10000 tons. The aggregate value OF
the contents. Rittenhousc estimated.
was $4s.5S3 The options we're to
have cost Williams and Archibald
$4,000
He figured the profit on the pile
alone. minus the expense. would have
been s35 ZOO. and the railroads would