The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-12-15
PROBE LEAKS OF
SUPREME COURT
Dry Decision Forecasted Day
Before Justices Read
Opinion.
SPECULATION PURPOSE

Washington, Dec. 15.-U. N. 81
Disclosure was made today that a
sweeping investigation of an alleged
leak" of the decisions of the supreme
| court of the United States for specu-
lative purposes in Wall street has
been conducted by the department Of
| justice since Nov. %.
| The investigation was at the in
stance of Chief Justice Edward Doug
las White, of the supreme court, for
the people clearing up rumors that
advance information of supreme court
decisions were being used for specu-,
lativa purposes.
Chief William J. Flynn, of the in
vestigation bureau of the department
| of justice, acting under the direct
orders of Assistant Attorney General
Ames, conducted the investigation at
| New York City. Chief Flynn in
| formed the International News Scrv-
| ice today that he had interrogated
| at Washington last night two men
who are connected with the govern
ment and that he talked with a
| Washington lawyer in New York this
morning prior to the supreme court
decision in the wet" and dry
cases.
1t is known that this lawyer went
| to New York. yesterday for the pur-
| pose of speculating in certain stock
which would be affected by the SUI
preme court decision in the wet"
and dry" cases, and, according to
this lawyers admission to Chief
Flynn today, said Chief Flynn, he
had anticipated that the decision of
the court would uphold the consti-
tutionality of the dry law.
Chief Flynn said: There has been
an investigation of rumor that su-
preme court decisions were leaking
to Wall street and this investigation
is being continued. No arrest has
| been made, but three men have been
interrogated. 1t is possible two law
yers will be brought before the court
on disbarment proceedings.
1T is the claim of these men that
there has been no actual leak of de-
cisons of the supreme court and they
set up the claim that for some time
they have been conducting a system
of forecaSting' supreme court de-
cisions by a process of legal deduc-
ton.
"Onc of the lawyers interrogated
is employed by the department of
justice. Another man interrogated
at Washington last night is minor
attache of the supreme court. There
is no proof that the court attache has
done anything wrong or that he did
participate even in the profits of an
alleged system of forecasting deci-
sions of the court. Our investigation
has disclosed a relationship between
the department of justice lawyer in
volved and another lawyer who went
to New York yesterday and informed
| n n wi haf hn
preme court decisions in the wet
and dry cases would uphold the con-
stitutionality of tie law.
1T is also true, according to the
investigation, that the lawyer who is
supposed to have made the deductions
and the lawyer employed in the de-
partment of justice were in New
York on the Monday that the su.
preme court decision in the Southern
Pacific case was handed down; thai
they roomed together at the Waldorf
Astoria: that the department of jus
tice lawyer did not register but slep
in the room of the other man, ant
that the department of Justice law.
yer did on that Monday sell Southern
Pacific stock short and took a prof
of points on the adverse decision
Despite remarkable circumstances
1t nevertheless is the contention O
all these men that there is no leal
in the court, but it has been possible
by study of the cases to guess wha
the decisions would be.
Il reported these facts to the de
partment of justice. You will hav
to ask Judge Ames whether or no
the department believes these stories
There are some matters which can
> not disclose
THE supreme court is our mos
sacred judicial institution and, O
course. tampering with its system O
justice would be an indescribabl
! iniquity.
Whether by actual leak or b,
commercializing their legal knowl
edge, the lawyers involved would o
, course have committed n gross breacl
=: of professional ethics by utilizing
such information or acting on sue
belief in speculating."
At this the socialists shouted: Yes
v against the will of the parliament"