The Washington times., 1919-12-16

"plums" Of the Street for those who
were on the inside" 1t is this stock
which the Department Of Justice law
yer admitted that he played.
Stsck Takes Tumble.
The stock records in Southern Pa
cinc show that the stock closed on
Saturday, November Is, At 10sH and
that only 25.s00 shares were dealt in
on that date. On Monday, however.
the day on which the courts decision
was handed down, a total of 40, 500
shares were dealt in and the stock
tumbled from 10s% to a low Of e9es.
United States Food Products, which
stock would be affected most by the
liquor decision, dropped eight points
in rs many minutes yesterday when
the decision hit the Street
The original information and belief
that the supposedly inviolate de-
cisions of the Supreme Court were
leaking to Wall Street in advance
Of their public announcement was
furnished to Chief Justice White and
his associates on November 20 by
the editor Of the International News
Service as q matter Of public duty.
After consultations extending over
three days Chief Justice White de-
clared that there was sufficient
probability in the circumstances that
h3d been revealed to him to warrant
almost scrupulous and unremitting
investigation by the Department of
Justice. In the absence Of Attorney
General Palmer. owing to illness,
Judge Ames took charge Of the in
vestfgation and Chief Flynn, and his
assistant, Capt. Frank Burke, were
assigned to accompany the editor Of
the International News Service to
New York and relentlessly prosecute
the inquiry.
Three Men Tr.ileA
Thereupon began the unravelinK Of
skein Of delicate circumstances
through detective operations, in New
YoH< and Washington Thfee men
were shadowed and sever1f dicta-'
graph records were made OF their
conversations In rooms Of tho Penn
sylvania Hotel In New York and at
the New Willard in Washington.
The men involved were supplied
with plenty Of money and they lived
sumptuously In New York, travelling
about In limousines and giving gay
parties to their friends. some Of whom
were actresses and army officers.
The story told to my informant by
these men was Is follows:
They asserted that they had been
receiving advance decisions Of the Su-
preme Court over q long period Of
time and had made considerable
money speculating on this informa-
ton. They were, however, dissatisfied
with their profits, they said; and their
object i'm dealing with my informant
IT,
a long line of credit with a rich Wall
Street speculator. They maintained
that they had never made q clean
up" on their information. and they
believed they could make . fortune in
one day speculating on the liquor de-
cision-
Tip "a Hours in Advance.
They claimed that they could get
any decision of the court in advance
by from twenty-four hours to several
days. They refused to tell the name
Of the man in the Supreme Court who
was furnishing them with the in
formation, but they did allege that a
lawyer employed in the Department of
Justice was able to procure decisions
from the secretary Of one of the mem
bers Of the court.
All Of this information and much
collateral data was Supplled by the
International News Service to Judge
Ames and his detectives. The posi-
bility Of a leak seemed always to be
incredible to the Department of JUS
tice officials. In my original talk
with Chief Justice white at his home,
1T17 Rhode Island avenue. he eX-
claimed:
'It is impossible that such a thing
could happen. No man would be so
degraded as to interfere with the
processes of the nations highest
court For more than twenty years
have guarded our secrets with most
jealous care.
'In order to prevent a leak wrote
with my own hand the decision of
the Supreme Court in the Standard
Oil case some years ago. 1t was a
tremendous labor. I did not even
hand it to the printer until o'clock
on Saturday, the day prior to it's an
nouncement, and I sat UP all night 20
read the proof to prevent any other
eye from seeing this pomentuous de-
cision. There have been many ru-
mors Of leaks in the past, but I have
investigated them and all but one
were disproved.
"In that instance an unfortunate
man was tempted and fell. He was
minor attache Of the court. That man
President of the United States at the
White House and made to confess his
awful guilt. A few days later he dice
under mysterious circumst ances, and
I have been led to believe that that