The Washington times., 1913-04-19
CONGRESShEN WILL
PUSH GLOVER CASE
Contempt Charge Will Be Made
Against Banker Who Hit
Member of House.
Continued from First Page.l


nessec. who in ls3: was reprima ndei
for attacking a member for words
spoken in House debate.
Congressman William Stanberry made
complaint at that time that Houston
had encountered him at a boarding
house and had struck him with a stick.
badly bruising the House member. who
had criticised Houston. in a speech.
The sergeant-at-arms was ordered to
arrest Houston and bring him before
the bar of the House.
Houston was arrested, .arraigned be-
fore the House bar. and a special COM
mittee was named to conduct the trial
The defendant was permitted to have
counsel and the trial occurred in the
House chamber.
After an extended hearing. the House
voted. 106 to Sc, that Houston had vio-
lated the dignity Of that body by strik-
ing a member, and the Speaker was
directed to reprfmand severely the Of
fender. This was done and Houston
was liberated.
contended at the time that the courts
of the District of Columbia should be
appealed to by the aggrieved member
but the House determined that the case
was one Of contempt. and punished ac-
nordingly.
In 1866 A. p. Field, a citizen Of
Louisiana. was tried by the House and
reprimanded for assaulting Congress
man William D. Kelly Of Pennsyl-
vania.
Five years later the House meted
more drastic punishment to Patrick
Woods. alias Patrick Dooley. of Rich
mond. Va The Woods offense was
slightly different from those previously
considered. however. Congressman
Charles H. Porter of Virginia was on
was returning to Washington TO re-
sumo his duties when he was assault
ed by Woods in Richmond.
Got Three Months In Jail.
1t was held that the offense was par
ticularly grievous because of the sever
ity of the attack and the further fact
that the House member fas en- route TO
resume his legislative duties. The Ju-
dietary Committee conducted the hear
Ing. and upon their report the House
voted. ll9 to 81, that Woods should he
imprisoned in the District Jail for three
months.
The Sergeant-at-Arns was directed to
place Woods in jail. and the records
show that he was duly received and im-
prisoned by the warden Of that institu-
ton.
1t is not held in this instance that
Mr.. Glover attacked Mr.. Sims while
he was enrGute to his official duties nor
that the attack was q brutal one. The
case pointed out as analogous To the
GIoyer-Sims affair Is that of Houston
and Stanberry, which resulted in 4
re reprinIand by the House.
Congressmen Investigate.
Congressman Garrett and Houston of
Tennessee. and Congressman SherIey of
kentucky. spent the morning looking
up precedents in the Sims-Glover case.
Either Mr.. Houston or Mr.. Sherley will
present the matter to the House on
Monday according to present plans.
Congressman Sims held long confer
once with Speaker Clark this afternoon.
He Nhad nothing TO add to his state
ment previously given The Times except
to say that he would not personally
bring the matter to the attention of the
House but that some of his friends
seemed inclined to do so.
Congressman Houston a member of
the Judiciary Committee, which has
handled heretofore such questions of
privilege. said today:
The Constitution provides that no
member of Congress can be held per-
sonally responsible for what he says
on the floor Of the House, or in his
official capacity. II Is my opinion that,
when Mr.. Glover interfered with Mr..
Sims on his way to the Capitol and
assaulted him for something Mr.. Sims
said about Mr.. Glover in a speech in
the House. in which speech Mr.. Sims
was replying to statements made by
Nj. Glover before a Congressional in
vestigating committee-that Mr.. Glover
made himself liable for severe punish
ment under the law by the House.
Congressman Sherley. an expert on
parliamentary procedure. said that if the
facts were as given by Mr.. Sims and