The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-19
justice DOUBTS
RIGGS EVIDENCE
Mccoy Sees No Conspiracy
Proof in Arguments Of
Banks Attorney.
HOGAN PROMISES PROOF
Witnesses Will Show 1t. He Says.
Lawyers to Complete First Phase
of Battle Today.
HOGAN PROMISES PROOF

of Battle Today.
! Justice Mccoy. of the Supreme Cour,
of the District of Columbia. presiding
over the Riggs Bank case, interrupted
the argument yesterday Of Frank J.
Hogan. attorney for the bank. to say
that he saw no evidence in the case to
prove a conspiracy" on the part OF
Secretary McAdoo and John SHELTON Will
Jams. Comptroller Of the Currency, to
| injure the Riggs National Bank.
| In other comments made by him DUR
ing the course Of the arguments. intima-
| tons were thrown out which. to the
minds Of lawyers present. indicated that
| the judge did not agree with the allega-
lions in the bill filed by the bank.
! Promises Conspiracy Testimony.
Mr.. Hogan in replying to the comment
| OF the judge about the absence of evil
i dence of conspiracy" said the evidence
Of the conspiracy would be furnished
by witnesses who would be called when
| the case reached the stage where the
bill was to be considered on its merits
Another time in the argument of Mr..
Hogan, the trial judge inquired whether
the attorney for the bank meant to con-
tcHo thot thcie Woo . po"ci III tHis
court to require the Secretary OF the
Treasury to restore to the Riggs Bank
the status as a reserve agent for other
banks. which had been taken away
Judge Mccoy intimated that the approval
of reserve agents was discretionary with
the Secretary Of the Treasury and the
comptroller.
The judge said tie question OF the
5000 interest due the bank on govern
ment bonds deposited in the Treasury,
which had been withheld on orders OF
be considered separately from the other
issues in the case. as presenting a dis
tinct proposition in itself.
Says McAdoo Threatened Bank.
The most interesting feature of the ca sc
yesterday was the colloquy between the
presiding judge and the attorney for tn.
bank over the conspiracy charge. Mr..
Hogan had reiterated his allegation made
in the bill filed by the bank that Secre-
tary of the Treasury McAdoo had prac-
tically threatened the bank with arbi-
trary power when he told President
Glover after denouncing Vice President
Allies. You know what this means for
the Riggs Bank" The attorney said that
from that hour corrupt conspiracy"
existed between Secretary McAdoo and
Comptroller Williams to harass and annoy
and ruin the Riggs Bank
Where do you find evidence here to
sustain the charge OF conspiracy" in
quired the judge.
Mr.. Hogan quickly enumerated the sue
cessive steps in what he characterized
as the conspiracy. These began with the
interview between the Secretary of the
Treasury and President Glover, of the
bank, last December. at which the charge
was made by Mr.. McAdoo that officers of
the bank, and particularly Mr. Allies, had
inspired newspaper attacks on the Sec
rotary and comptroller in connection with
the Munsey Trust Company's absorption
of the United States Trust Company in
Conference Followed. Quarrel.
Repeating the alleged quarrel at that
time and the implied threat made b.
Secretary >McAdoo to President Glover of
reprisals against the bank. Attorney Ho-
gan declared a conference followed i'm
mediately between McAdoo and Williams
and that from that time on the bank
was harassed by a series of dema nds for
that had to be prepared at great
expense and that step by step the con-
spiracy had developed
The judge suggested that the bill did
not specify any act by the comptroller
that had heen the subject of complaint
from that bank unit! morths after the
interview. He intimated that time had
elapsed in which the hot blood OF the
quarrel had time to cool. NJ Hogan
replied that Comptroller Williams did
not begin reprisals at once for the reason
that he did not become COMPTROLLER up-
til sometime afterward and was in NO |
position TO make demands upon the bank |
Judge Mccoy insisted that the record |
disclosed no evidence of conspiracy
and that II the demands Of the Treasury
Department for reports and the other |
acts complained of were to Re attributed
10 the quarrel. it would be Just .as fair
10 Say that the bank had refused to |
'espond to demands of the Treasury De- |
'artmeht Tor reports because Of the same |
iuarrel ana the feeling growing out |
II II.
Red Cross Funds Withdrawn.
Attorney Hogan had referred TO the
withdrawal Of Red Cross funds from
the bank as a step in the conspirnsv
and the judge insisted that this wus |
an unomcial act. Finally. the colo
luy was brought to an end by the suR-
sestion of the banks attorney that the
question Of the existence Of the AL
legged conspiracy" was not really be-
Tore the court at this time, but that
when 1t did come witnesses could he
called by the bank to establish the
Mr.. Hogan occupied most OF the
lime In hts legal argument in support
II the bill and against the motion to
dismiss the bill as being without the
of the court
Louis d. Brandeis. of Boston NJ.
orney for the Comptroller, used about
wenty minutes in a strictly Legal
argument in support of the motion To
dismiss the bill. His argument va,
rec from personal references, and he
made no answer to the attacks unon
he Treasury officers.
Case VIII lie Completed Today,
At the close OF Mr. Brandeis' Argyll
nent. Samuel Cntermyer, of New York.
Isked the court to permit him to post
zone his argument until this morning
that he was indisposed
This was agreed to and before the
ecess OF the court for the day an
Lgreement had been reached by coun-
vel that Mr.. Untermyer would con-
Jude by noon today, and former Sena-
or Bailey, who Is to close for the
'ank, would be able to conclude in an
lour. The case will be submitted
'efore the close Of today's session.
Decision win Come Days Later.
1t is expected that Justice Mccoy will
axe the matters under advisement and
hat several days will elapse before his
ecision on the motion to dismiss the
Ill Will be announced n ha ~r.,,. | ;