Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-02-01
JUDGE SrEER TESTIrTEs IN HIS
OWN BEHALF Ar CONGREs.
slONAL INQUIRY.
he Was TOO MERCIFUL
l"id Committee Tint Ills KIndncs.
Had Been NIisconstrled as
ArbitrarineNs.

D" '"NANNAH, Ga. Jan. 3l.-Fed.
'I"' Judge Emery spoer of the South
'u district Of Georgia. today charac.
''''"'u u7 'maleyolent distortions"
u'"St 'l the charges made bv vitn,ss.,
D'i"re the congressional committee n,
'''lsailhg allegations OF official mis-.
conduct against the jurlst AT tho
conclusion Of his testimony the bear
Ihks, which have been In pr,yross II,
''' '''y ana Macon, Ga, for the past
'"o weeks, were concluded
Members Of the congressional sinh
committee declined 10 Intimate tba
i''H'r ot their report to the bouso
J"dI'IalS committee which was auth-
'I'"eu hy congress TO investigate thu
'"aIS's' Judge Speer was given three
weeks In which 20 file a brief in re-
ply TO the testimony of the savartv
witnesses examined by the commlttee
IL Is understood that final report
VIII not be made untl two weeks
arler the brief Is filed
Inc Intense feeling manifested Inv
Judge Speer when on three occasions
ne interrupted the testimony Of wit
nesses' was not apparent while the
Jurst was on the stand today.
Before taking the witness stand
Judge Spser endeayored to ohtotn
permission to read prepared state
ment but was Informed that he
would have to be sworn and testify
as any other witness
Nheh II became known that Judee
Speer had agreed to appear in this
way chairman Webb announced thar
witnesses would be heard
Judge Speer In his testimony de-
MED the charges made yesterday l,,
's''ict Attorney Alexander Acker-
ann that the jurist had threatened TO
sehd to jail any lawyer who sought to
uisqnalify him in a case in which
Judge Speer's son-in-law, A. r. Hav-
Ward. was counsel He said IN,
preach between himself and Mr.. Ask
erman had arisen from political dif
! fcultes
The jurist declared that he had
not been guilty OF drawing juries i'm
propsrly' claimed his administration
mad been always merciful and that
his kindness had been misconstrued
as arbltrariness. lie characterized ].
Barnes. former marshal OF his
court, another previous witness In the
hearing. as man OF malevolent mind
Judge Speer also denied the truth OF
tho testimony Of A. H. Lawton, that
the jurist wrecked the Central OF
Georgia Railway and Banking COM
pany with a midnight order" ap-
pointing receivers for the CORPORA
tion.
other denials made by Judge Speer
were to the charges:
That he had shown favorltIsm To
the law firms with which his son-in-
law, A. II. Hayward, was connected.
That he had ignored mandates of
the supreme court Of the United
States and the United States court of
appeals
That he had been guilty OF mal-ad-
ministratlon OF cases In his court.
That he had failed to hold court tho
number of DAYS prescribed by law.
The jurist also explained the depos-
iting without interest OF the proceeds
''''' Wv '"l '''dte III macon, ia,
bank, of which his brother-in-law was
Vice president He asserted that the
bank was the only official registry Of
the court al the time and that It was
not customary for banks 10 pay inter-
est on court funds I'm the registry.
The members Of the committee.
Representatives Webb, chairman, and
Nolstead. left tonight FOR Washington.