Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
SPEER
WILL. REVIEW
LIES WORK
At HEARING
Special House Committee Of Three
Will Investigate impeachment
Evidence Against Macon Jurist
as Test of Col. HuE's Charges,
Probe Opens Monday; Will Last
-Four Weeks, Extending to Sa-
vannah, Albany and Waycross.
Leading Lawyers To Be There.

Leading Lawyers 10 De lhere'
MACON. Jan. IA special COM
roit-aa If the House judiciary Com
,rfttoe meets in the Federal court
room Monday morning to investigate
CHARGES against Judge Emory Speer,
who. after % years on the bench of
be United States Court for the
soptbern District of Georgia, faces
an fmpeachment trial in Congress.
The evidence adduced at the inves-
trar;on which will probably last four
c,aks and be conducted in Macon,
savannah. Albany and Waycross, will
determine whether the committee
shall renort to the House judiciary
Committee that impeachment pro-
leedings are warranted. The House
committee will be governed entirely
by the report of the subcommittee.
The subcommittee is composed of
REPRESENTATIVES Webb of North Car
n,.s. Volstead, of Minnesota, and
V,zhanrv. of Illinois, two Democrats
and a Republican. The first two
lave been prosecuting attorneys, and
r. latter is an eX-newspaper man.
Nudge Speer plans to make an eX-
sns,ye statement to the committee,
D., only reviewing and answering the
crerees AGAINST him, such as he un-
5ors,ands them but also narrating
his entire life record. He will be
allowed to oss-examine the wit
Yoesor. more than 100 of whom have
been summoned. but not at great
length 1t is only by courtesy of the
committee that he and his attorneys
are allowed this privilege.
Able Lawyers to Help Him.
some Of the ablest and most cele-
ba,e5 lawyers of the State have vol
inferred their services to the defense
Of Judge Speer. Chief counse! Is
Judge Andrew ]. Cobb. of Athens, for
ne, Supreme Court Justice. Others
are Judge Enoch Galloway, of Au-
rs.a. OrviIle A. Park, of Macon; j.
y TaNey. of Macon, and w. NJ. How
Ir5 Of Lexington, former Congress-
man. These men are personal friends
Of the accused jurist.
It is probable that Colonel w. a.
Huff, who instigated the charges
tsa1st Judge Speer, though the let
ter which he wrote caused him to be
found guilty of contempt of court,
will be present at the trial. He has
been very i'll for six weeks, but this
afternoon he declared that he would
be at the trial if he had to be taken
n the courtroom on a cot. Colonel
huff is now sitting up, but Is very
weak He is SO years of age, and
Tor the first time in his life he shows
H. His estate, worth over $125,000, has
been in the bankruptcy court under
Judge Speer for sixteen years, and
le alleged improper management or
prompted his sensational letter to
Judge Speer.
ms letter, being made a part OF
ne court record, was read by Fed
tra court examiner, and in that way
;sached the Attorney Generals office.
n'esugators were then detailed to
investigate Judge Speer's entire ca
.str on The bench, and this system or
sNonase and investigation elected a
U".e' denunciation from Judge Speer
Ue annual meeting Of the Iowa Bar
Fssocialon, where he made an ad-
,.sSs. The examiner, r. C. Lewis, in
t,.sle"ed several hundred lawyers,
S,'s' nugants, and ex-United
r,t. court officials, securing affida-
aa -s rom nearly all of them. The
nla'lls furnish the basis for the
"@'ses against Judge Speer
Some Of the Charges.
some of these are:
90 oppressive and corrupt use of his
r'a. position in deciding cases un-
~ In favor of his son-in-law, A.
Il Hayward.
improper, II not corrupt, abuse Of
t,G.1Norl'y In taking or causing to be
money from the court fund for
~ private use.
attempted bribery of official APP
',4,ea To act as custodian.
sr S' of drugs impairing his men
tt,Is"eFal unlawful and oppressive
e,S. .a-- to serve his own private
,,..ue The filing of the charges
je,' MIN Judge Speer has not
any judicial work The courts
district are now presided over
rg'I1-se Sheppard, of Florida
r,, apeer was critically III dur
IA. . carly fall. and it was believed
would die. However he now
49, !. Ne In rNrnlfnn1 hnnlth