Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-23
CASE OF [AFEAN
'FL|MSY,' SAYS JUDGE
N. ".
York Alderman Defends Re-
fusaI to Require Bail Of =
More Than. $500
$500 ENOUGH, He ASSERTS
Rr a staN corespondent

York, Pa. Aug. 3.-Walter F.
Owen, magistrate alderman who refused
10 hold former Banking Commissioner
Daniel f. Lafcan in more than $500
bail. sought to jnstifx his action to-
day. by declaring the case against La
tcan "fiimsy " He declared he had
jldged the case on its merits.
II feel justifed,I',' he said, "in re-
fusing to consent to the ridiculous idea
of $500 bail The charge in the nffi
davit which l read seemed to me TO be
very fiimsy. -..-l.-,- 4,.,..-.
a IF it had beeu. any one else but
Dan Lafean would have put the
bail at $780,, bat -this- case being one
going out of this. COUNTY I thought Ia
better make the bail $500, as l did,
This North Penn Bank case has upset
our politics here in York. You'd be
surprised. 49,. .--.
@ why, when you thipk that Wilton
Billett, a motornan on the York
Dallastown Line, who ran by block
signal and killed a whole lot of people;
men, women and even children, was
held by me in only $500 bait and got
only year-for- manslaughter'., too, it's
easy to see-how foolish this idea of
high bail for Dan Lafean was ....
Always Battled Lafean
ITO tell the truth, don t know why
( Lsfean came here to me to be arraigncd.
Dan Lafean and l never agreed. We
always battled, and l always won,
Am l a lawyer?
mo, I'm no lawyer, but | claim my
self self made man l just took the
Lsfean case as a law matter. If it
was politics l would have 'waxed' him
good, believe me. He's a Republican
and I'm Democrat Tell the truth
I've always been against Lafean."
''Of course. this Lafean case was sort
of like holdin' a man for court. cause
you know them Philadelphia magistrates
are higher than an alderman. Then, him
goiu' to another city's sortcr different,
too.
'I've been an alderman in this town
for seventeen years and all that time
I've fought Dan Lafean. tooth and
nail, and he's never licked me yet. II
there'd been any reason for such a
thing I'd 'a'held Dan Lafean for SO. e
000.4 You. see the highest bail I've
ever wrote was 'S25O0.'
They Call Him Walt
Alderman Magistrate Owen, genial,
friendly to%friend and foe. apparently,
is affectionately dubbed Walt by his
intimates. who are legion in all walks
of life in York He is of medium
height, heavy Set, and much inclined to
corpulency.
II could have had better jobs than
his said Magistrate Alderman Owen
depreciatmgiy, but this suits me.
am now at Work on my seventh mirrtle,
case since | became judge seventeen
years ago.
Commissions, Not Salary
.'Do l get, paid a salary.
''No-commissions.'
Il make a lot from my criminal and
civil work. I'm really doing. more
business than many of the lawyers here
at the bar. I'm in good health, fee
fine, and I'm ball player, too
IF Id had any slap coming tt
Dan Lafean | had my chance wheI
he came before me in my court. But
give every one square deal.
''My criminal docket runs 1920 caset
since I've been in Office as, judge, ant
my cases range from petty larceny tC
murder"
us Dan Lafean the best liked maj
ia York;
We'll, / wouldn't just exactly say
that. Personally, but not politically
he's much liked here. He carried twelve
of thirteen wards in York the last fivt
times he ran for Congress. But h
never carried my ward, the cid First
It's got a Democratic majority of 1G5
Dan did, though, cut down our ma
jority some.
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