Arizona republican., 1912-07-23
Proceedings Against Judge Brought to a Sudden End When His Attorneys After a Conference Threw Up the Sponge
DENOUEMENT OF
 SENSATIONAL CASE
History of Prosecution Re sulting Immediately From His Revocation of the Citizenship of Member of Socialist Labor Party
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPArcH1

lAoSOClAIED PRESS DlSPATCHl
 SEATTLE, July 22.-United States District Judge Cornelius H. Hanford. the first federal judge appointed when Washington was admitted to statehood twenty-three years ago. sent his resignation today to Pres- ident Taft while the last batch of witnesses was waiting to testify be- fore the house Judiciary subcom- mlttee, Which has been hearing eyi- oence relative to the charges of mis- conduct filed against Judge Hanford in Washington.
 At the time set for hearing this morning a series of conferences be- tween the committeeman and Judge Hanford's attorneys was begun. A proposal that the judge resign and the hearing be discontinued was sub- mltted by Judge Hanford's attorneys and accepted by the committee.
 Judge Hanford sent his resignation by telegraph to President Taft at 1O:3O o'clock, going in person to the telegraph office with the message, Al the same time Chairman Graham of the subcommittee, sent a telegram to Chairman Clayton of the house Judiciary committee, telling him of the change in the situation and rec- ommending that the hearings be dis continued. Chairman Graham return- eG to the courtroom and announced a recess until ? D. m
 At the hour set for reassembling no word had been received from Chairman Clayton. There was a fur- finer delay nnfil a recting that the hearings be discon- tinued The committee will leave to- morrow for Washington, taking vol- umnious records of the twenty days testimony, and also the records of the lawsuits upon which most of the charges against Hanford were based. IL is the general understanding that no further action of any kind will be taken by the house.
 Hanford's statement to the public follows: The almost constant strain under which I have worked for more than twenty-two years has taxed and exhausted my power of endurance I am not likely to have vacation or rest but a change of occupation will be a welcome relief. I intend prac- ] ticing law in Seattle.
 Tn the investigation which has been conducted by the subcommittee of the house of representatives much of the testimony has been given by witnesses who know me and by others who do not I am grateful for the commendation of those who have spoken and written in my favor, and for those who have maligned me, I only wish to say that I would be ashamed of myself if I had not incurred the enmity of such people as they are. A judge is never so sure of being right as when his work has been criticised unfairly and. | without boasting, in view of all that has been said concerning myself and my work, I am glad my record is ! what it is.''
 l Hanford has been much in the public eye since August 25, 1911, when after he had issued an injunc- 1 tion hostile to the position of Seattle | citizens in the five-cent fare fight 1 against a street car company he was ! denounced at a great mass meeting
 and resolutions demanding his im- i peachment were adopted, While the meeting was in progress a crowd
 outside hanged in effigy stuffed
 figure labelled "Hanford."
 On May 10, 1912, Hanford revoked
 the citizenship of Leonard Olsson of l Tacoma, member of the socialist labor party because Olsson appear l ing as a witness for another man 1 seeking citizenship had said in an- | swer to a question, that he was not
 "devotedly attached" to the constitu-
 ton and that he favored the coalition
 of a political government and the establishment of an industrial gov- 1 ernment.
 The national convention of the socialist party. at Indianapolis, h. diana, took notice of Hanford's de- ] cision and instructed Congressman Victor Berger to bring impeachment charges against Hanford. Berger in- troduced, the charges on June 6, ac- cusing Hanford of rendering corrupt decisions. and being habitual
 drunkard Eight supplemental charges | against Hanford were filed directly
 with the judiciary committee of the house by a Seattle attorney.
 The house unanimously referred Berger's charges to the house judi
 ciarv committee and that body ap-
 rointed a subcommittee to take evi-
 dence in Seattle. Dozens of witnesses testified that the judge was appar- | emily intoxicated on street cars and | (Continued on Page 9.