Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-05-11
Former Partner Claims He
Might Have Signed a Letter
While Drunk But Never When
in Lucid Moments.
CULM BANKS DEAL
CUTS BIGGEST FIGURE
Effort of Prosecution is to
Show Judge Negotiated Deals
with Parties Who Were Liti-
gants in His Court at Time.
lBy Morning journal Special Leased wire. !,

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.
Washington, May 10.-Edward j.
Williams, of Scranton. Pa, chief wit
ness against Judge Robert w. Arch
bald, of the commerce court, prac-
tically denied today some of the testi-
mony given on Wednesday before the
house Judiciary committee.
Williams was a partner with Judge
Archibald in negotiations for buying
a Culm bank from the Erie railway
to sell at profit OF $4,000 to the
Lackawanna & Wyoming Coal Co
The judge at that time had the Erie's
so-called lighterage cases in his
court.
A. S. Worthington, counsel for the
accused jurist, undertook the re-
direct examination of Williams and
called his attention to the copy of an
assignment of the Culm bank prop
erty that he was alleged to have
made to w. p. Boland and silent
partner" Previously Williams had
admitted having made such an as
signment before he procured options
on the Erie Culm banks, and had ex-
planned that the silent partner" was
Judge Archibald. ,oday. however,
upon reading a copy of the assign
ment. Williams said II was not the
paper he had signed. lie admitted
that the signature attached was his,
but repudiated it's contents.
This admission led Attorney Worth
ington to ask the witness If he ever
drank. He said he did and admitted
il was possible he might have signed
the papers that he could not now re-
call.
Williams repudated the letter in
troduced In evidence Wednesday in
which he related having told w. r.
Boland that If he had discounted one
of Judge Archbald's notes, case he
had before that jurist, which was
decided against him, might have re-
suited differently
The witness admitted having said
something like that 20 Boland. but he
denied that the language used in the
letter in evidence, signed by him ever
came from his lips.
1t also developed on cross-exami-
nation that Judge Archibald paid
Williams fare from Scranton to
Washington. that the latter might
respond to the subpoena from the
judiciary committee to appear be-
fore 1t.
The committee today started TO
learn of an alleged transaction be-
tween James X. Dainty, Judge Arch
bald and the Lehigh Valley railroad.
1t involved the Eberhart coal prop
erty
williams was asked IL he and
Dainty did not regard Judge Arch
bald as the real negotiator for the
lease of the Eberhart property by
the Lehigh Valley.
II thought Judge Archibald nigh!
be able to swing it," replied Will
Jams. II thought he could try 1t.
anyhow"
williams testified that he knew
Thomas Darling. a lawyer for the
Lehigh Valley.
Chairman Clayton then read a
Photographic copy of a letter which
Introduced Williams 10 Darling. IL
stated that Mr.. Williams was trying
to get hold of Culm dump property,
owned by the Lehigh Valley. If the
railroad felt inclined to dispose OF il.
The letter was written on United
States commerce court stationery.
why did you get letter from
Judge Archibald in that instance ?"
asked the chairman.
II thought 1t might help me get the
dump"
was the Judge to have an interest
in that"
mo"
''Did you know the judge knew
Darling?"
''Oh. yes. Darling tried many cases
before Judge Archibald. He tried
cases before him when Mr.. Archibald
was county judge"