Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-29
Commerce Court Judge
Admits Many Of In
parchment Facts.
NOWRONGDOlNG, HOLDS
Issues Public Statement DeClar-
ing His Rulings Were Never
Influenced by FavorS.

Washington, July 29-Judge Robert
W. Archibald of the commerce court,
in answer to the impeachment articles
brought against him by the house Of
representatives, today formally denied
to the senate sitting as court of i'm
peachment that he had ever used his
office or his influence as a Judge for
profit, that he ever undertook for a
consideration TO compromise litigation
before the interstate commerce CON-
mission, that he ever wrongfully used
his position to obtain credit from liti-
gants before him, or that he had un-
dertaken to carry on a general busi-
ness for profit or speculation in coal
properties, as charged in the house in
dictment.
To each OF the 13 articles of i'm
peachment Judge Archibald replied
that none even If true, constituted an
impeachable offense, high crime or a
misdemeanor as defined by the consti-
tuition. Many statements contained in
the allegations were not disputed.
while others were totally denied and
annullment of others was asked on
the ground that they were too vague
to.admit of proper defense.
ADMITS PARTICIPATION.
Judge Archibald admitted his partici-
! patton in the now noted "Katydid culm
, bank DEAL with Edward J. Williams
of Scranton and the Hillsdale Coal &
4 tha,H ,f -
railroad. which then had cases pend
ing in his court, but he denied that he
/ wflfully or unlawfully or corruptly
took advantage of his position to in
duce the railroad officials to deal with
him and his partner.
The accused jurist denied that he at
any time for a consideration agreed
to assist George NJ. Watson, a Scran.
ton lawyer. to settle case in which
the Marian Coal company was com.
plainant against the Lackawanna rail.
road before the interstate commerce
commission. William p. Boland and
his brothers, Christopher and James,
are principal stockholders in the coal
company and William p. Boland was
the author Of some of the charges on
which the house judiciary committee
reported articles of impeachment. The
judges answer today set out that his
participation in the negotiations with
officials of the Lackawanna railroad
for settlement of the case was purely
Of friendship for Watson and Christie
pher G. Boland and that all his acts
were without promise or expectation
of compensation of any kind.
HELD NOT UNLAWFUL.
In reply TO the charge that he and
his associates secured from the Lehigh
Valley railroad lease on Coal DUNN
Packer No. 3, owned by the city Of
Philadelphia as trustee for the heirs
OF the late Stephen Girard, reply was
made that the transaction did not in.
volve unlawful or corrupt use of his
office. Some details of this article
were disputed
To the charge that Judge Archibald
permitted Helm Bruce, attorney for
the Louisville & Nashville railroad to
make a reply after a case had been
closed in court, the Judge averred that
permission for such a supplementary
reply was not, so far as he knew, given
in secret from the interstate commerce
commission. Judge Archibald de-
MED that permission for the
supplementary answer was given
wrongfully or unlawfully, but declared
1t had been done in fairness and in the
interest Of justice.
The judge denied that ne used his
Office wrongfuly to aid Frederick
Warnke in securing from the Philadel-
p phia & Reading railroad lease of the
Lincoln culm dump or that he accept
ed from Warnke wrongfully a promis-
sorry note for $500. Judge Archibald
does say, however. that he and John
Henry Jones received from the Pre-
mieT Coal company a note for $510
endorsed by Warnke This, the Judge
AYERS, was for services he and Jones
had performed by bringing about the
, sale of the Old Gravity Fill culm bank
| by the Lacce & shiffer Coal company
) 10 the Premier Coal company in
which Wamke had an interest.
CHARGE VAGUE ONE.
The charge that the Judge used his
: Office corruptly or improperly to bring
about the sale Of the Everhardt coal
lands TO the Lehigh Valley railroad OF
the Lehigh Valley Coal company. was
. claimed to be vague, and its annull-
ment was asked
Judge Archibald denied that at any
: time he had entered a scheme 10 buy
b stocks Of a gold mining scheme In