The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-01-17
JUDGE ARCHIBALD
OUSTED BY SENATE
Banlshed From Bench by Vote of
81 to 8.
WIFE AND SON HEAR VERDICT
BY Resolution Jurist IL Removed
From High Honor and Forbidden
Ever Again to Hold
Office.
WIFE AND SON HEAR VERDICT

Washington, Jan. 15.-Robert w.
| Archibald of Scranton, Pa, for twenty
nine years al occupant OF judicial po-
sitions upon the Pennsylvania state
bench, the federal district bench and
the United States commerce court,
was adjudged guilty on five out of
thirteen counts brought against him
charging high crimes and misde-
! meanors." by the United States SEN
ate on Monday.
On the first count only five of the
II senators voting supported Arch
bald. He was by resolution of the SEN
ate removed from his high Office and
forbidden ever to hold an Office of
profit o. honor under the United
States government. Officials have
been impeached before, but never has
such huniliating punishment been
meted out by the senate Of the Unit
ed States.
Judge ATchbald's wife watched the
voting on the thirteen counts from the
senate gallery, and remained till the
end, although the first vote told her
that her husband had been stripped
OF his judicial robe. His son, Robert
w. Archibald, Jr, who has acted as
MS counsel, sat on the floor of the
senate, apparently unmoved, through
the long session.
Archibald himself fumed and fretted
in a committee room on the gallery
floor. He was utterly crushed when
he learned the extent Of the verdict.
The overwhelming vote against
Archibald on the first count, which
had to do with the coercion of the
Erie railroad to enter into a contract
with him for the purchase of a culm
bank, was sufficient to establish the
fate Of the respondent. A conviction
on any of the five counts meant re
moyal from the bench.
On this count Senators Burnham,
Penrose, Oliver, Paynter and Catron
were the only members of the senate
who voted to support Archibald
A difference of opinion as to the de-
gree Of culpability saved him from
conviction on eight counts, but so
profound was the belief of the sena-
tors in his unfitness that they visited
on him the severest penalty in their
power, when, after brief secret SEES
sion, they fixed punishment by reso-
luton.
Senator O'Gorman of New York.
when the last vote was taken, moved
that it be ordered by the senate that
Judge Archibald be removed from the
bench and forbidden ever to hold of
fee of profit or honor under the gov
eminent Oliver of Pennsylvania
who, with his colleague, Penrose. had
voted to support Archibald, a Penn
sylvania man, moved that this resolu-
ton be divided This motion pre-
vailed By viva voce vote and with
out dissent the senate decided that
Archibald must be removed. A vote
of SO to 35 disqualified him from hold
ing any future office. This disqualifi-
cation will make it impossible for
to accept any purely honorary desig-
nation from the president or any gov
eminent official
The charges against Archibald were
all based on his desire to acquire sud
den wealth while in Office and were
based chiefly on accusations of Sc
curing money indirectly from indi-
viduals or corporations who had lesis-
lation pending before him. They were
originally brought to Washington by
William P Boland, of Scranton, Pa.
where Archibald formerly was a United
States district judge. Boland asserted
that he had been ruined, in business
by corrupt acts of Archibald on the
bench.
Archibald was appointed to the
United States court in Pennsylvania
by President Mckinley and was made
a member of the commerce court by
President Taft.