South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-09
F. ]. L. Meyers Charges That
President of Owls Has Com
mitted Fraud-KitCh Makes
Defense.
BRIBERY AND FORGERY
ARE new CHARGES
John Yeagley, Isaac K. Parks
and Louis HammerSChmidt
Named to Resist Action in
Appellate Court.

Three members OF the st. Joseph
County Bar. association were appoint
cd as a committee to resist the appli-
cation of John w. Talbot supreme
president of the order Of Owls, for
re-admission to the state bar. which
is now pending before the appellate
court Of Indiana, at a meeting Of
the County Bar association held in
the superior court room Tuesday
morning.
The appointment Of the committee
following charges of forgery and IL
legal activity filed against Talbot by
L Meyers John Kitch, attorney
for Talbot, resisted the move, defend
ing the disbarred lawyer by declaring
that although he had committed
several indiscreet acts during his
career ne believed that Talbot had
conducted himself sufficiently well
during the past five years TO permit
his re-admission to the state bar.
The motion for the appointment Of
the committee to resist Ta1botS ap-
plication was made by Meyers and
seconded by Samuel Parker. The vote
was by secret ballot, Meyers asserting
that he did not care to make amy
member Of this association a target
for Talbot"
Eight Vote Majority.
Thirty-four members of the asso-
citation voted for resisting the appI-
cation and 26 were in favor of allow
ing the appellate court TO handle the
matter as II saw fit. G. =. Drummond,
president OF the bar association, pre-
sided over the meeting and appoint
ed the committee which is composed
OF John Yeagley, Isaac Kane Parks
and Louis y. Hammerschmidt
In his appeal for the appointment
of a committee, Meyers produced let
ters, alleged to have been written by
Talbot to him, asking that he produce
evidence against the president of the
Owls in order that the organization
might be rid Of him. The letter was
apparently written by a man in New
York. a member Of the Owls. who
asked Meyers to come there with the
book of photographs which played an
important part in the Mason Talbot
trial several years ago.
Meyers asserted that this letter was
written by Talbot and declared that
he reproduced q portion Of his reply,
using it as the part of letter writ
ten to an Indianapolis man. This
letter which Meyers asserts was
forged by Talbot, was an attack upon
several local attorneys by Meyers.
Bribery is Charged.
Meyers further asserted that Talbot
wrote a letter to Frank Christoph,
the county clerk, offering him $50 TO
destroy the interrOgatOries in the
Meyers-TalbOt case. The letter was
signed "H. S"
In defense Of Talbot, John Kitch
asserted that he did not believe ii
was proper for the bar association TO
insert itself into the personal quarrel
between Talbot and Meyers. who he
asserted, are as bitter enemies as men
could be. He brought before the as
sOciauon the fact that Talbots word
was law whenever given and that he
had conducted himself properly dur
ing the past five years, warranting his
re-admission to the state bar.
In reply TO the statement by New
ers that since the disbarment of Tai
bot the county bar had been free
from even the whisper Of contarnina-
ton, KitCh asserted that there are
still members Of the bar who can NOT
be trusted and who have changed
records on both this and adjoining
county court books He intimated
strongly that several mem bers Of the
association have been engaging in 81
legal practices and uPbraided them
for this.
The committee will take up the
matter before the appellate court
when TalbOt's application for read
mittance is ready 10 be acted upon.