The Washington herald., 1916-04-09
=. - eiIs
TRIBUNAL HEARS.
RIGGS BANK PLEA
Justice Siddons Takes Matter
Under Amusement After
Stormy Session.
HOGAN PASSES THE LIE
Rebukes Archer for Casting Asper-
-
HOGAN PASSES THE LIE
Rebukes Archer for Casting Asper-
sions on Coursel-Early Trial
Of Officials Urged.

Following one. of the stormiest hearings
ever held In the District Supreme Court
Justice Siddons last night took under
advisement the motion of counsel for
the three indicted officials of the Riggs
National Bank that they be given an
early trial
The principal argument offered in sup
port of the motion was that the pendency
of the indictment may be taken by
Comptroller OF the Currency John Skel-
ton Williams as ground for refusing to
renew the charter of the bank when II
expires July /, The counsel for the de-
fendants argued also that there had been
undue delay In granting them a bill of
particulars so that they might prepare
their answers.
The argument on the motion was feat
ured by several exchanges Of personaii-
ties between counsel. Attorney Frank
]. Hogan at one stage Of the hearing de-
nounced as IAN absolute and baselees
lie" the charge uttered by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Archer that a newspaper
campaign had been carried on in an ef-
fort to show that the affidavit which re-
suited in the Indictment of the three
bank officials for perjury had been
sworn to by accident. Mr.. Hogan warn
ed the assistant District attorney that
he should be careful to keep within the
TcCOEo uCI 10 ChsN aSpcE oiOiAo dPOti
the character OF the counsel on the other
side.
In turn, Assistant District Attorney
Archer expressed regret that the usages
OF the court did not permit him to resent
what he characterized as Mr.. Hogan's
''Billtngsgate' in the usual way.
Other sharp and bitter interchanges
followed in the course of the three hours
argument. The hearing brought out new
information as to the reasons which had
moved the defendants to object to Get
Justice Covington as trial Judge for the
case.
For reasons which made It seem
proper and the absolute duty of the de-
fendants and their counsel to object to
the Chief Justice" said Attorney Will
lam G. Johnson, who closed the argument
for the defendants. I'VE took the mat
ter up with the District attorneys. Not
line in our motion or a word in our
letters referred to this phase of the ques-
ton. We sought to follow the way that
seemed courteous and proper to bring
about the results desired, and we ap-
pealed to the District attorney to select
a court in which a justice agreeable to
all parties would preside.
Our reasons were good ones because
the Chief Justice hearkened to them and
refused to sit in the case. The District
attorney fatly refused to arrange the
trial before any other justice. and even
tually assurance was given that the case
will be assigned before some other Jus
tice"
The issue between the opposing counsel
as to the delay In the trial of the case,
which has been fixed for May 8, was a
sharp one. Assistant District Attorney
Archer declared that other cases OF i'm
portance already had been shelved to
expedite the trial Of the Riggs case, and
he denied that any Justice attached to
the plea that the trial be moved up from
May g. He denied that eight months or
even two years would be an unreasonable
or unusual period to defer the trial Of q
case when the accused Is at liberty on
bail.
! District Attorney Lasksy pointed Out
that the Riggs case Is not the only one
in which insistent requests for trial are
| being made.
The counsel argued over the govern.
ment's assertion that the opportunities OF
the Riggs counsel dated only from
February 6, and that at no time previous
to that date had an effort been made &c
have an early date fixed for the trial
Attorney Hoover declared that as soor
as the indictments were drawn the de-
| PENDANTS counsel had made inquiries az
| to the date for the trial and that these
| inquiries had been renewed January 8
He said that a specific statement of the
wish of the defendants. to have an early
trial was made in a conference Of their
counsel with the District attorney on
January 6.