Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-23
ANSWERS
CHAR GES Of
ACCUSERS
Federal Judge Defends Himself
in Statement to Congressional
Investigating Committee.

MACON, Feb. 23.-The answer of
Judge Emory Speer to charges of mis-
conduct in office as judge of the Unit
ed states Court for the Southern Dis
trict of Georgia, sent last week to the
subcommittee of the House judiciary
Committee at Washington, has been
made public here by Judge Speer's
counsel upon consent of Chairman
Webb. of the investigating commit
tee. This committee has been called
by Chairman Webb to meet in Wash
ington to-day to consider the judges
answer and also the evidence it seeks
to disprove, preparatory to the Gen
eral Judiciary committee. whether or
not Impeachment proceedings against
the Judge should be recommended TO
the House.
In this answer Judge Speer defends
his record on the bench, fpeclfcally
denies the numerous charges made
against him by witnesses who APP
peared before the committee during
its recent two weeks sittings in Ma
con and Savannah, and submits m
dorsements from lawyers, jurors, htl-
giants and others. Furthermore, ne
makes counter charges against DIS
trict Attorney Alexander Alderman
. ana OtQeTS, W no were lllbSt NIii''ASSAt
in their testimony against him. Oh
Mr.. Alderman, the answer says:
Attack on Alderman.
"As to the alleged use of messen-
gers, cries and bailiffs as servants OF
the Judge, here also the witnesses re-
lied on to show the alleged mtscon-
duct are Alexander Alderman and
John NJ. Barnes, both of these wit
nesses testify that the messengers
-. ha
Z formed no services for the United
States, but acted as personal servants
for the judge.
eff this charge is true, both of these
men are guilty of malfeasance in Of
flee and of presenting or certifying
false accounts to the Government.
THE pay rolls of these officers are
made out by the Marshal, and they
are approved by the United States
Attorney, or in the absence of the
United States Attorney, by his as
sistant Barnes was Marshal for
seven years after 1897 Akerman has
been Assistant United States Attor-
ney. in charge of the office, and Unit
ed States Attorney for about fourteen
wears. If these officials allowed the
practise to go On which they refer TO,
and made up and approved the
monthly AMI quarterly accounts OF
the MARSHAL illtN tIt Jun oe'HJNNN
indictment Their evidence on TINS
subject is the grossest misrepresen-
tation, and would only be given by
men of character portrayed in the
mutual opinions they express of each
other
Judge Speer's Conclusion.
Judge Speer concludes his answer
in the following language:
Prom the unsolicited and gener-
Gus expressions of these ninety ana
nine grand jurors of the Southern
District of Georgia. eorgians whose
names and hOrnes are SiVen-the
committee can. determine how unde-
served are the aspersions the maleV-
client have sought to cast upon hlm'
how unmerited the defamations which
under the methods of his accusers,
while he was helpless and voiceless'
have been spread throughout the
length and breadth of the land, and 1t
NAV also gather the irreparable in
Jury which such methods may intiict
upon the American judiciary whose
fearless independence was at once,
but may be no longer, the chief story
Of the American system"