Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-12
DARLINGTON TELLS
Of AMBROSEFUN
Wife and Lawyers Contributed
to Cover Alleged Short
age, He Says.
DESCRIBES EFFORTS
TO PROTECT ATTORNEY
Bonding Company Representative
Also a Witness at Wright
Impeachmnt Hearing.

]. J. Darlington, counsel for Justice
Wright, took the witness stand today at
his own request, at the hearing of the
impeachment charges against Justice
Wright before the Mccoy subcommittee
of the House judiciary committee. to tell
Of his connection with a fund that was
raised in Washington to aid William E.
Ambrose. receiver for the Cooperative
Building Association of Georgetown.
Mr.. Darlington testified that he was
trustee of such a fund, that 1t amounted
finally to s1O,975, that he contributed
$1,000 of it in cash as loan to Mr.. Am
brose, that Mrs. Ambrose contributed
$1,000 of it as the proceeds of sale OF
securities personally owned by her, that
the remainder was contributed by prom
inent lawyers in Washington in sums
ranging from SIS to 500, and that he
was also trustee for a box that was
brought to him containing Mrs. Am
brose's diamonds and other jewelry,
afterward appraised as being worth
$4,000, which was added to the fund.
Told of Shortage, He Says.
Mr.. Darlington testified that Mr.. Am.
brose told him he was short in his ac-
counts as receiver for the building as.
ISOLATION.
At the conclusion of his testimony
Justice Wright, who sits beside Mr. Oar
lington at the latter's counsel table dur
ing the hearings, cross-examined Mr..
Darlington in person.
He asked If he, Justice Wright had any
knowledge Of the facts he had testified to
In regard to Mr.. Ambrose, and the wit
AmbroSe'S standing at the bar in Wash
ington prior to the building association
receivership matter and Mr.. Darlington
said it was of the highest.
Representative Nelson, a member of the
committee asked Mr. Darlington what
association he had had with Mr.. Am
brose to cause him to advance S., 900 for
his aid, and Mr. Darlington replied that
his association with Mr.. Ambrose had
been very slight.
II was considerably moved at the re-
c1tal Of his difficulties Mr. Darlington
said, as he testified that Attorney Easily
Smith had come to him in behalf of Mr..
Ambrose and told of these difficulties.
To quote Mn. Easby-Smith, he said, the
latter declared that "he loved Mr.. Am
brose dearly and was greatly distressed -
I was deeply moved Mr.. Darlington
said
De Lashmutt on Stand.
This testimony followed the examina-
ton of Thomas J. De Lashmutt, Wash
ington manager for the Fidelity and De-
post Company Of Maryland, and former
ly manager for the American Bonding
Company of Baltimore, which two COM
panies have been merged. The latter
company was the surety on the bond Of
Mr.. Ambrose as receiver for the build
ing association.
In answer to questions Mr.. De Lash
mutt said:
IT have heard that fund was sub
scribed to help Mr.. Ambrose out, but !
know nothing definite about it. The fund
did not go through my hands,"
who handled the matter for your COM
pany?" was asked.
John A. Luhn and Mr.. McComas OF
our Baltimore Office" was the answer.
Did your Baltimore office make good
any shortage?"
II know" Mr.. De Lashmutt said.
that the bonding company did help
Mr.. Ambrose out. and took as security
certain slow assets. I heard of the al
legged shortage only month ago. MT.
Luhn and Mr.. McComas told me that
they had to put up about $4,000 to
help Mr.. Ambrose out?"
Money Put Up Last Week.
when was this $4,000 put upr'
Last week."
What was the general nature Of the
assets put up?"
Some fees due him, some notes due
him. some Of his interest in a couple of
pieces Of real estate, l heard"
Did you ever hear of any fees In the
building association case which lawyers
RENTED to help out the fund.-"
THAT, understood, was the way MI.
Basby-Smith assisted. He RENTED a
fee."
'.This fund then was separate from the
amount put up by the bonding company,
was it?"
so I understood"
What class of people subscribed"
Lawyers, 1 think"
What was the amount of the short
age?
II believe about $50, 600"
did you ever hear of any shortage IN
any other case in which your comp any
bonded Mr.. Ambrose?"
81 think something was put up for some
other bond"
(which one?'
ST do not know the name Of the estate.
I think 1t was around $74O."
Darlington's Testimony.
When Mr.. Darlington took the stand,
following Mr.. De Lashmutt's testimony.
he said, in part:
IT was attorney for s. Thomas Brown
in a suit against the First Cooperative
Building Association of Georgetown, the
object of which was to impress a first
lien on the assets of that association in
favor of Mr.. Browns creditors for
$27, 600.
"A short time after the Court of Ap
peals affirmed a judgment got Mr.. Easily
Smith came to me and said he had to
make to me a disclosure that distressed
him greatly about the receiver for the
building association, Mr.. Ambrose. 1t
was that he was short in his accounts.
He said he was very fond Of Mr.. Am
brose, and that an attempt was being
made through Hamilton, Yerkes & Ham,
ilton, attorneys for the bonding company,
to straighten things out.
HE said Mr.. Ambrose had a very lu-
crative practice, that it amounted to
$40 900 a year in fees, and that If some
arrangement could be made he would al
low the bonding company to supervise the
receipts of his Office. He would place his
family in inexpensive accommodations.
Mr.. Easby-Smith said he had loaned Mr.
Ambrose the amount of his fee in the
building association case, $4,000
Agreed to Lend His Fee.
Under the circumstances 1 said I
would lend Mr.. Ambrose my fee in the
Brown case. 1t had not been fixed, but
I said I would lend him 5000. Then ]
saw Mr. Hamilton and some talk came