Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-09
TAMPERERS FACE
CONTEMPT TRIAL
Attempt to Suppress Testi-
mony in Wright Case Will
Be Punished.
PROBE COMMITTEE HEAD
MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT
Says Perjury Also Will Be Dealt
With-Exclusion of Letters
Desired, Say Witnesses.

| new feature developed at the hear
/ ing today of the charges against Jus
tice Wright before the Mccoy sub
committee of the House judiciary
committee. Chairman Mccoy an
nounced that if a clear case is made
during the hearing of any attempt to
suppress testimony the person shown
to be responsible therefor will be
brought by his committee before the bar
of the House of Representatives for con-
tempt of the House. and he supplemented
this announcement with the statement
that II any evidence of perjury should de-
| velop a transcript of the testimony
will be sent by the committee to the
Deplores Situation.
j. ]. Darlington, counsel for Justice
Wright promptly declared that he de-
plored any appearance of tampering with
witnesses or the suppression of possible
testimony, and believed that any such
effort should be punished. He said:
with the committees permission
would like to submit some testimony
tending to show that there has been
1
is expected that he will do so during the
hearing.
This feature of todays hearing devel-
oped following the examination of A. E.
L. Leckie and Wade H. Cooper. who
both testified to details of conversations
law, former attorney general of Ohio
and former assistant United States at
torney general, had had with them rela-
tive to the possibility of excluding from
l. l@I,
yet been introduced and Of which the
committee is said to have Photographic
copies, which Mr.. Ellis, according to Mr..
Leckie and Mr. Cooper, told them he de-
sired to exclude, because Of his friendly
interest in the family of Justice Wright.
Question of Propriety.
of Mr.. Cooper having had conversa-
tion with a representative of Justice
Wright. he having declared that he met
Mr.. Ellis as a friend of Justice Wright
after he had been asked to meet JUS
Sunday afternoon in an effort to "har-
monize' the present proceedings before
the Mccoy subcommittee and had re-
fused to meet Justice Wright in per-
son.
Mr.. Cooper. who filed the charges
against Justice Wright which have
resulted in the present proceedings.
testified that he had consulted with a
member of the committee when he ascer-
tanned that he was asked to meet rep
resentative Of Justice Wright, and that
that member. who happened to be Rep
resentative Nelson. had told him that no
matter what he did his action would not
affect the action of the committee. 1t
nishing the evidence to the committee
on which the examination is being con-
Quoted.
Tells of Conversation.
Mr. Cooper testified that there had been
a conversation with Mr.. Ellis. in which
the latter was asked If Mr.. Cooper did
not furnish the committee with the GER
tain letters alluded to, what expectation
might Mr.. Cooper have that the indict-
ment pending against him would be
dropped. This question. it was stated,
was asked by Mr. Leckie. The answer
Mr.. Ellis made. according to the witness.
was that of course no one had any control
over the indictment now, as 1t is IN the
hands of the court, but that he had no
doubt but that Justice Wright, as the
principal complaining witness. would DO
all in his power to have the Indictment
dropped.
Had Little Bearing on Subjects
Much gossip on various collateral
matters in the Wright impeachment
case was aired before the Mccoy sub
committee of the House yesterday aft
ernoon, but according to at least one
member Of the committee and seVerai
interested attorneys in the room, the
long afternoon of inquiry established
nothing that had any bearing on the
for1 ont
Wade II. Ellis told story of how
Wade H Cooper had endeavored to
soften some Of the charges against
Judge Wright. and United ~ states LIS LIS
was an interesting witness during q
part of the afternoon. was put through
an examination as to his motives In the
libel case against Wade H. Cooper:
Mr.. Wilson told the subcommittee
that he had pushed the libel case be-
cause it was important, involved the
good name of a justice OF the supreme
Court of the District Of Columbia and
because the defendant was a man of
more or less position and wealth:
Il thought 1t was case which de-
served as prompt attention as pos
sible," he said.
Charges Appeared Before.
The case in question resulted in the
| Indictment by the grand jury OF WADE ii.
Cooper, based on the printed charges
against Judge Wright. Many of those
same charges have now been incorporated
| into the impeachment charge against
Judge Wright. but originally they
| were taken to the White House. sent
from there to the Attorney General and
| from there to the judiciary committee of
| the House, which returned them to the
Attorney General. with curt note, ex-
| pressing the opinion that the committee
| could not see it's way clear to handle any
| impea chment on an unsupported state
| ment
The matter having thus been disposed
of at the time. Judge Wright and his
| counsel, j. ]. Darlington sought out Clar-
ence Wilson. the testimony of yesterday
showed. and told him they believed there
| was ground for action for criminal libel
| In the charges which had been circulated,
and which had been going around Wash
| ington without any official action being
| taken.
| Representative Nelson questioned the
| United States district attorney sharply
as to his motives for pressing the libel
| charge. He asked him II he had ever
1 heard of a case where the man bringing
| an Impeachment cAarge before Congress
| was also before the grand jury himself
| because of the way he handled those
| charges. Mr.. Wilson replied that he
knew of no other similar case.
So,,ob% publici<xy IN press