Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-28
FIELDER At TACKS
SPEER'S ACTS
ON BENCH
Attorney General Charges Judge
Manipulated and CoerCed the
Juries in Peonage Cases.

merely selected the names from list.
q asked the clerk If there had been
any order regarding the drawing Of
the jury. was told there was none.
Later ] found one on the record. 1t
had been filed later in an effort tc
cover up what had been done.
Speer Prosecuted Case.
Il prepared a challenge, setting
forth the Illegal drawing OF the jury,
intending to prove by l.. A. Morgan
and George f. White that the men
had been selected, and not drawn.
This challenge was never filed. |
consulted with my clients and told
them if they had money enough to
carry the case to the Circuit Court OF
Appeals ii ought TO be filed but II not
Judge Speer would overrule the chal-
lenge and in so doing would make
such remarks as to prejudice the jury.
They did not have the money and we
did not file it.
we went into the trial with sew
eral men on the jury who had ac-
cepted favors from the United states
Court. Judge Speer took the case
from the Government attorney and
prosecuted it himself
My next experience was in the
Chancery peonage case from Pulaski.
No lawyer ever went into trial more
determined to have no breach with
the Judge. At the very outset he took
charge of the prosecution. He con-
tinually asked the District Attorney
questions, trying to make him bring
out points that he had overlooked.
Held Witnesses Week.
The character of these men was
such that il was the principal defense.
/ had several witnesses of character.
He said, What is all this array of
proof? | told him. He said he
would limit me to three witnesses.
1t was in May, very hot, but he kept
all of those witnesses in little room
through the week. One of them was
so years old and although | called
Judge Speer's attention to it, he ig
nored the request.
I'VE went into the trial and | made
the usual motion for a direction of
the verdict. He overruled ii in a long
dissertation winding up by saying if
ever there was a peonage case this
was one. | realized that my only
chance was the jury and | decided to
argue the case
Il was several times interrupted by
the judge and ne took particular ex-
ception to my use of the word mig
ger He made a long dissertation and
wound up by threatening to strike
my name from the eligible lawyers at
his bar.
Judge Threatened Jurors.
AT any rate, the jury took the case
and brought in a very righteous YER
dict. The people of Pulaski We're de-
lighted and decided to have the jury
% no rb nd Y,1SSiI,lxr
the counsel.
Judge Speer published a card in
the newspapers saying that IT would
be very unfortunate if the jurors
went; that they were still officers of
his court and might be punished for
The jurors decided to go
anyway, but the Hawkinsville people
called It off. They took the position
that they knew the judge could not
fine the jurors for contempt, but the
judge would get them for something
else"
How about the Brannan case?"
Mr.. Fielder was asked.
The two men were out on bond
and he sent them to Jail during the
trial. | offered to increase the bond,
or security, but he would not con-
sent"
Tells Of Huff Case.
Were you counsel for W. A.
Huff?"
Yes"
"will you relate the history of this
case to the committee"
This case has been taken to the
Court of Appeals four times but l
have the record here.
1T was on August 5, 1899, that a,
so called creditors bill had been filed
against Mr.. Huff and the estate
There were two creditors. One of
them had a judgment from one OF
the local courts. The full amount of
the claims was $4,922. An eX parte
hearing was held and a receiver
named for property that has since
sold for more than 100000. This first
debt for $1,414 was the first lien on
piece of property that was assessed
by the city of Macon at S20,000,'
MIR. Fielder here read from the off
cial record of the case, which was
read In Macon last week before the
committee.