The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-02
BAR ASSOCIATION
 WILL AR CHARGES
 AGAINST WHARTON
Anniston Bar Will Lay the Wharton Contempt Case Before State Bar
 Association
By HARRY M. AYERS

meeting of the Anniston Bar associa- tion Monday. Attorney P. F. Wharton was adjudged to be sufficiently guilty to be reported to the state bar asso- citation for investigation Of his conduct
 in the trial of the suit of Misses Dickert and Landt against Drs. Sellers & sel-
 lers. in which Mr. Wharton is said to have tempered with juries. Attorney Wharton, together with ex- Sheriff M. W. Woodruff and Juror At
 kins. were fined last Saturday for per- nfcious activity in the case; and pre- ceding the action of the bar association Monday Judge Merrill imposed addi- 1 tlonal fines against Dr E. M Sellers, Juror Haynes and pr. w. B. Arbery of Jacksonville. the first two receiving s25 each and the latter fine of s5. A grievance committ<. consisting of D. D. Willett, c. H. Young, N P. Sterne, D. C. Blackwell and T. J. Harris, was appointed to permanently guard the good name of the association and to
 consider case preferred by Attorney Ross Blackmon against Attorney c. F. Douglass
 The association also elected new of- ficers as follows:' A. P. Ogee, president; N P. Sterne, vice president, and C. D. Kline, secretary.
 Judge H. D. Merrill, whose far reaching investigation into the matter 1 has been the subject of much favorable
 comment, left immediately after the meeting for a visit to his mother in New York. He reserved his decision re- garding a new trial in the hospital case.
 Willett Took Initiative | Attorney Ebert D. Willett took the I initiative in the action against Attor- l ney Wharton when he accused him of I pernicious activity during the trial of I the hospital case two weeks ago. It
 was the first time Nl the History of the
 local bar that an attorney had been so accused and the proceedings attracted considerable attention.
 l The association was called to order by President Agee. Attorney o M.
 Alexander was the. first to gain the floor He read letter to the bar from Attorney Wharton in which the ac-
 cused lawyer admitted discretion. plead l ed for leniency on the part of his fell
 lows and promised that if the matter
 was dropped. he would henceforth live up to the ethics of the profession and give no further cause for complaint. He
 said he now sees the significance of his | action In a new light, and expressed deep regret MT Alexander spoke in be- half of this letter.
 c. IT. Young next moved that the president and secretary of the associa- | tion certify a transcript of the pro- | ceedings before Judge Merrill to the central committee of the state bar as- sociation. Rutherford Lapsley offered a
 substitute for this motion to the eff feet that a committee of five be ap-
 pointed to consider and investigate the
 charges, reporting back to the associa- l ton. He urged the association to show l lla,,i fo n, ,,.tf,,, too hastily.
 | Judge J. J Willett said that h0 had
 been moved by MT. Wharton's4 confess sion and the tenor of his letter, but that his actions had been like strich
 nine in spring, having poisoned the
 fountainhead of justice. Ross Black
 mon said he thought the investigation
 ought to extend to other members of
 the bar. N. P. Sterne reviewed the evil
 dence and declared for further prosecu-
 tion similar talk being made by
 Judge D. C. Blackwell, who termed the
 conduct of those fined as intolerable. Attorney E. D. Willett made the chief
 address for the prosecution He stated | that the local bar is on trial and that | the association could not condone the action of MT. Wharton, regardless of
 the personal feelings of sympathy for
 the defendant. Others speaking for the
 prosecution were C. H. Young, c D.
 Kline and President Agee, who resigned
 the chair to Judge Willett c. F. Doug
 lass declared that he had been inn
 pressed by arguments on both sides. 1 MT. Lapsley's substitute was lost by
 a vote of IS to and the Young mo-
 ton then carried by vote of 16 to 4, | following which the permanent griev- ance committee was named on motion of w F. Acker.
 Labor Men to Picnic
 T. R. terrell, chairman of the ar
 engagement committee, has returned from Talladega, where he completed
 Arrangements for monster labor pie
 mic by Anniston workmen on June 13,
 at which time about 1900 will go from lthis city, the seven pipe plants and other industries of the city to be closed for the day.