The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-02-06
Bill Takes Three Counties
From End Judicial
Circuit.
WORK KILLING JUDGES
Judge McHenderson Describes
How He is Wasteing Away
Anderson County People Want
To Be Included in the New Cir
cult and Make Argument Before
Committee With End in View.

Committee With End in View.
Nashville Feb. 3.-"When became
Judge of the Second judicial circuit, |
was nearly as large man as Senator
Fisher there. | weighed 200 pounds
and was IN perfect health. Now ! am
a shadow of my former self, having
broken down under the tremendous
amount of work devolving upon me.
Judge Harmon, of the First circuit, is
in similar condition.
This was the statement of Judge q.
Mac. Henderson of the Second circuit,
before the judiciary committee of the
state senate Tuesday afternoon, during
the hearing of the bill introduced by
Senator Cecil to create anouther judi
cial circuit in East. Tennessee. Under
the bill two counties are to be removed
from the First judicial circuit presided
over by Judge Dana Harmon, and
three from the Second circuit. These
five are to constitute new circuit and
the judge of this circuit is to also have
criminal jurisdiction over four counties
in the Fourth circuit presided over by
Judge Brown.
The object of the bill, as stated by
Senator Cecil, Judge Henderson and
other gentlemen, is TO give relief TO
Judges Henderson and Harmon, whom
il was stated have more litigation to
try than was possible Tor them TO at
tend to. 1t was pointed out that the
civil dockets in these counties were so
congested that it was almost matter
of impossibiity to get the cases tried.
w. D. Owens, All attorney of the
second circuit, in his argument for the
adoption OF the bill, stated That there
was pathetic side to the matter. 81
have seen old women" he said, "who
were entitled to heavy damages for
the death or injury to their husbands,
forced to accept 800 compromise at
the hands of the defendant corpora
tions, because Of the fact that some two
or three hundred cases were on the
docket ahead of them and there SEEM
ed no chance of ever reaching their
SUIT"
There was. no controversy i'm the
hearing over the fact that some relief
was needed, but there was difference
of opinion as TO the best method of ar.
ranging it. In the bill of Senator Cecil,
the county of Anderson was not in
cluded in the new circuit and Senator
Underwood submitted an amendment
asking that this be done. This amend
ment was opposed by Senator Cecil on
the ground that this would be putting
too many counties in the new circuit
and the causing of congestion of the
docket of that circuit to the same eX.
tent as that of the others. For some
minutes spirited discussion was in
progress between Senator Underwood
and the opponents OF the Anderson
county proposition. The latter claim
ed that the reason they wanted Ander.
son county included, was because Of
the fact that prominent attorney OF
that place wanted to be appointed
nudge of the new circuit by Gov
Hooper.
Former Senator Hicks, who was pres
ent TO represent the people of Ander.
son county, denied that he was the at.
torney referred 10 as Il candidate fol
the judgeship. Both he and Senator
Underwood claimed that Anderson
county was In need of some change be.
cause the civil docket of that county
was not receiving heptoper attention
Former Senator John p. Davis and
u. w. Montgomery, of Tazewell, both
argued for new circuit. The former
stated that as conditions were now
cases that demanded longer con,
sideration were hurriedly tried because
tue NuChcte NSlS 81 CIONV0tl. ~
Just like eating good meal hurriedly
without taking time To properly chew
it, he said.
"a case udIcialindigestion, then,
SAID Senator Williams, chairman O
the committee.
1t was finally decided by the com
mittee to postpone further nearing o
this Overwhelmingly, and adjournment
was then taken.