The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-10-24
MORE CHARGES ARE FILED
ATTORNEYS NOW MAKE ACCU-
Stations AGAINST SPEER.
Cite Coast Line Case and Declare
That Mistake in the Record
Damaged Them.

WASHINGTON, ID. C.-NOW that
an investigation into the conduct of
Judge .Imory Speer has been insti-
tuted by congress, many charges in
addition to the ones made by officials
of the department of justice are be-
ing forwarded to the house judiciary
committee. Attorneys who heretofore
have been unwilling to jeopardize
their interests by bringing accusa-
lions have discarded their caution,
and it is probable that the subcom-
mittee which will GO to Macon next
month will find plenty of lines along
which to ask questions.
Case Against Coast Line.
One of the charges brought re-
Gently to the committees attention
has to do with the trial of case
against the Atlantic Coast Line. It
is alleged that during the progress of
the case the government attorneys
told Judge Speer there were some
papers in possession of the defend
ants which should be produced in
court. 1t is declared that in open
court Judge Speer asked the railroad
attorneys if they had these papers.
They are said to have replied that
they had the papers with them, but
that NO order had been made for
them and that hey did not desire to
produce the papers and would not do
SO except under protest.
SC oh ho i.,d
tated an order stating that the papers
had been produced by the railroad at
torneys voluntarily in the court. The
papers were brought in as evidence
and the road was fined $4,000. When
the attorneys went through the rec
ords seeking grounds for an appeal
they found the statement in the rec
ords that the papers had been produc
ed voluntarily, which they deny. This
statement, it is claimed, so damaged
their case that they could not justify
an appeal.
SOn-in-Laws' Litigation.
Another charge is that while A. H.
Hayward, Judge Speer's son-in-law,
was engaged in litigation arising in
connection with his holdings of cot
ton mill property in South Carolina
Judge Speer employed a prominent
firm of attorneys to protect Hey
wards interests, in the meantime APP
pointing this firm in many matters
connected with his court and paying
them large fees.
Later, it is alleged, Judge Speer
learned that the South Carolina
courts had awarded these attorneys
some five or six thousand dollars in
fees for their work in South Carolina,
the attorneys meanwhile saying moth
ing of this to Judge Speer Judge
Speer is said then to have complain
ed bitterly that the firm should have
allowed him, in ignorance of the
South Carolina fees, to fix large fees
for these attorneys in his court. At
ter this, it is alleged, Judge Speer
gave them no more patronage in his
court.
Passed Out FavOrs.
1t is also charged that while he was
at Highlands, N. c.. Judge Speer
passed certain orders for fees and
passed out favors, it being contrary
to law for a federal judge to do this
when out of his district. 1t is alleg
ed specifically that he did this in
the case of an attorney who went to
Highlands to confer with him about
the coming impeachment proceed
ings. The attorney referred to is ex-
pected to be one of those who will
appear for Judge Speer in the i'm
parchment proceedings.