The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-07
PROBE STATUSOf
$500 Wright FEE
Judiciary Committee Mem
bers Examine Directors Of
U. S. Savings Bank.
SYME LETTERS ARE READ
W. E. G. Penny Says Board Argued
Payment to Justice Would Save
Big Counsel Fee. 4
SYME LETTERS ARE READ

To determine whether Associate Justice
Daniel Thew Wright, of the District
Supreme Court, accepted an alleged check
for $500 for legal services to the United
States Savings Bank while on the bench
the subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee took up much Of yesterday
session in the Impeachment proceedings.
Congressman Nelson read the part of the
revised statutes declaring it unlawful for
any judge TO accept money for legal
services"
The minutes of the board of directors
of the bank show that the money was
Paid for business attended to between
the~Jnited States SAVINGS Bank and the
Bureau of National Literature and Art. ="
Upon the solution of this question de-
ponds the case thus far developed against
the jurist Cashier Wilbur II. Zepp, re-
called TO the stand. testified that the di-
rectors present at the meeting when the
payment was ordered were James l..
Karrick. presiding; James NJ. Baker, c.
K. Bergman. William ID. Berry. James
s. Fraser. w. T. Davis, and w. e. G..
Penny.
Letter by Kerrick.
Interesting correspondence between
now Corporation Counsel Conrad Syme,
then counsel for the bank, and other
directors was read into the record as
showing how the attorney and his
associates on the board feit about vot-
ing money TO Justice Wright The
first letter was one written to James
L. Harrick by Mr.. Syme on December
Z, 1910, which reads as follows:
Replying TO your favor of Decem-
Der 3, 1910, have to advise you as one
of the counsel for the bank that i am
more or less acquainted with the able
and successful work of Judge Wright,
performed in regard to the Bureau of
National Literature and Art. and of
the money his ability and energy saved
the bank. In view of what 1 have
learned l think Judge Wright should
be paid at least $500 and that this pay.
ment can legally and properly be
made Had the matter been referred
to counsel for the bank it certainly
could not have been more efficiently
handled and their minimum fee would
surely have been the amount suggest
ed to be paid to Judge Wright. / shall
certainly as counsel for the bank ad-
wise this payment, and as member
of the board of directors. vote to ratify
il. CONRAD H. SYME-"
The next was one from Charles A.
Douglas to Mr. Syme, dated December
IA. 1910, a portion of which follows:
"Pu<iness. Not Legal"
Baker asked me 10 SET you WIN
reference to the letter you Wrote to the
Savings Bank on the subject of the COM
pensation for Judge Wright. He thinks
that one sentence in the letter might be
misconstrued-in other words. it might
be construed to the effect that the bank
eontempIates paying Judge Wright coun-
sci fees, which. Of course. he could not
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