Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-10
ARCHBALD'S DEAL is TOLD
Charges Against Judge of Commerce
Court Revealed by Testimony.
COAL DEALER ON THE STAND
Williams Tells of Getting Cuin
Property Option from Erie
-Raitraad Party to Case.
Before the Jurist.


WASHINGTON. d. c.. May a-charges
against Judge Robert W. Archibald OF the
commerce court were unfoldsd today be-
fore the house committee on judiciary.
which is TO determine IL Impeachment
proceedings shall be brought against the
jurist
How Judge Archibald. in partnership
with Edward j. Williams. a Scranton
coal dealer. while celebrating as a Judge
on the "lighterage cases. to which the
Erie railroad was a party. Is alleged TO
have negotiated an option from that rail-
road for ts,ooo tons Of cuim property I,
be sold at $1,000 profit. was told TO the
COMMITTEES by, williams himself.
Judge Archibald. accompanied by his
two sons and his counsel. A S. worthing-
ton. heard the testimony and occasion
ally Hooked at Photographic copies Of
letters bearing on the case. one OF them
being letter in which thu Judge told
Of his connection with the cuim bank
negotiations In his own words,
In addition to that transaction Will
Jams told Of another deal Ia which he
said Judge Archibald acquired IN interest
with him In an option on 100000 acres
OF venesaelsn timber land for which the
Judge gave q note for ssoo. Williams
tried to discount this note with C, J.
and W. p. Boiand Of the American Coal
company OF Scranton. who at that time
bald in the federal court The Bolsnds
refused to discount the note and later
lost their case. Williams admitted telling
w. p, Boisnd that II he had discounted
Judge Archibald's note the case might
have resulted differently. but he denief
that Judge Archibald knew anything Of
his making such remark 20 Boland.
Judge "stient Party
The testimony relating to the .culm
bank transaction included reference to an
assignment by Williams Of an interest
In the options secured 10 w. p. Boland
and silent party" whom be admitted
under examination was Judge Archibald.
when asked why Judge Archibald had
been referred TO a. silent party" VIII
iams said he thought II was not lawful
for jurists name 10 be- used In such
trsnsactionS
williams related how the option for the
culm hank property was negotiated for
In offices Of the Erie railroad and told
how . sale for the property was neso-
tiated and he and Judge Archibald were
to divide the profits Judge Archibald.
during the negotiations with the Erie.
told him that the lightersse casa was
then before his court. Williams said.
Judge Archibald showed me the briefs
in the case" said Williams. and told
me II was about the llshterase case in
which the Erie was interested. ] did
not know what lighterase meant and he
told me. Then he gave me a letter 10
Mr.. May OF the Erie and also told me that
he would see the general counsel for tho
Erie, Mr.. Brownell. about the option"
How the option was given soon there
altar and q deal was later frustrated 10
sell the property at q s12ooe profit 10 the
Lackawanna 4 Wyoming Railroad COM
pany was described BY the witness In de-
tail. Another transaction which the COM
mittee did not get 10. but viii inquire
about when the hearing Ia resumed Fri
day. involved an alleged transaction for
other culm bank property. In which Judge
Archibald. q man named Dainty and the
Lehigh Valley railroad were said 10 be
Interested. This DEAL II II said. was In
terrupted BY charges filed with the De-
partment OF Justice against Judge Arch
bald In connection with the other cases.
Letter from Archibald.
Tho following was introduced a. q
letter Judge Archibald wrote to Vice
President Conn OF the Laurel line OF the
LaekawAnnA a Wyoming on stationery
OF the United States commerce court;
SCRANTON. Pa. Sept .. iaii.-My
Dear Mr.. Conn: This viii introduce Mr..
Edward williams. who 10 interested with
me In the eulm dump about which !
spoke 10 you the other day. We have
options on Il both from the Hillside Coal
company and from Mr.. Robertson. rep
resenting Robertson d Law. these options
covering the whole interest In the dump.
This dump was produced In the opera
tIon Of the Katydid collisry BY Robertson
a Law. and extends TO the whole OF the
dump so produced. have not seen 1t
myself. but as understand IT, this dump
consists OF two dumps. ittis separate
from each other. but all making up one
general culm or refuse pile made At that
coiiiery. Mr.. williams win explain
further with regard to II, II there is any
thing which Won want 10 know Yours