Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-22
RULING BARS
STATEMENT
BY JUDGE
Investigating Committee to Hear
No Evidence in Defense
Of Accused.

MACON, Jan. ,22.-Of more con-
Germ to Judge Emory Speer and his
attorneys, even more discoura ging to
them than the damaging evidence OF
Wednesday, is the announcement OF
the Congressional probe committee
that the judge will not be allowed to
make a statement in the irvestiga-
tion
The judge and his counsel had
planned that he should make an elab-
crate statement to the committee, re-
viewing the evidence and, for that
matter. taking up his entire personal
and judicial career. The judges
gift of eloqpence was calculated to be
OF advantage to him in the presenta :
ton of his side by himself.
However. the committee is not
going to admit testimony of this. kind
Chairman Webb has stated in open
court that the committee is hero as
an inquisitoriai body, more las q
Grand Jury, hearing evidence in sup
port of a proposed indictment. and
that evidence specifically introduced
to bolster Judge Speer's. cause will
not be received, The committee is
assigned only to near such charges
us may be brought against the Judge,
and, if they are sufficient to Justify
Impeachment the jurist will have his
opportunity OF combating them In
appearance before the bar of the
Senate.
played to Galleries"
r. c. Ellis, of Triton, the first wit
! ness to-day, told about contempt rules
being issued for seven Triton lawyers
when there was no Justification, in his
opinion, for such action. He swore
that Judge Specr played to the gal,
leries, and came before the foot
lights seeking applause" He said tina,
Judge Speer treated the Triton law
yers outrageously. impairing theiI
| professional regulations. The rules
against the lawyers were dismissed
/ the next day. but a formal order tC
that effect was not passed for somi
months.
Jesse Il. Hart, president of the Ma.
| can National Bank, swore he employ.
ed A. H. Hayward, Judge Speer's SON
! in-law, in having his bank designated
as Government depository. The fet
was $50.
Only three witnesses testified
| Wednesday afternoon, but they gave
| such testimony as put Judge Speer's
. lawyers on their mettle in the cross
examination.
Forced Out Of Court
w r. Simmons of LawrenceVille
testified that no withdrew from the
practice Of law in the Southern Dis
trict, disnissing more than fifty cases
at one time, because of Judge Speer's
| attitude toward him. He said that
he and the judge capdidly hated each
other. the feeling starting over poll
tics more than thirty years ago He
said that Judge Speer treated him
unfairly and discourteously in court
80 that he could not win case
How ever he added. Il always re-
versed him in the higher courts. and
the records will prove it."
Mr.. Simmons declared that the
clerk OF the court at Savannah, H
H. King. now deceased. was unable
to refund to him about $1,000 which
he had advanced as costs in the dis
missed cases. "Mr. King said thai
Judge Speer had the, money" He
testified that King subsequently, paic
| him back.
Judge speer presented for the in
spection of the committee a receipt
signed by Mr.. King, for sl,2ss, ano
]. Tom Hill. OF Cordele. related how
II was stated by his counsel that this
money had been borrowed by Judge
Speer as a private transaction. and
that IL Mr.. King took the money from
the registry Of the court, the Judge
was unaware Of the fact.
| Continued on Page 3, Column 4.