The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-12-16
,oterie Of Spectators Under
J take to Interfere With
Sacred Tribunal.
PROBE OF ALLEGED LEAK
Department y Of Justice Has
Names Of Men Suspected
@ Of Offense.

New York, Dec. 16.--(Copyright,
19l9, by I. N. S.)--An audacious
scneme OF a coterie of Washington
specuiators to interfere with the or
Iderly processes OF the most sacred
American judicial institution, the
United States surreme court, has
Ebeen frustrated by publicity through
&lnformation- furnished to the govern
nent by the International New s
&Service.
q Whether a crime has been com
&lmtted Is matter to be determined
10y the members OF the nations high
cst Judicial tribunal and the execu-
lives oi the department Of Justice.
n whether men. two Of them lawyers,
HNho are known by the department
oi Justice ofiici-ls to have speculated
Waii street on what was claimed
~ pe advance information leaking
Prom the sacred precincts of the
Zcourt, are to be disbarred or other
N~ise disciplined remains for govern :
hent action. But whatever official
action Is taken, 1t Is now certain that
sure thing stock gamblers OF Wash
nston are today quaking with fear
~ tne disclosures of yesterday con-
cerning an attempt to traff in Wall
S.feet with alleged advance informa-
lion concerning the decision of the
ouprene court upholding the consti-
iusionality OF the dry liquor law.
Inc department of justice inyesti-
gation, which was conducted under
tne supervision OF Assistant Attor-
liey-General z. y. Ames, at the in
sfance of CHIEF Justice Edward
nnite is continuing and an element
III mystery is being thrown about Of
hcial conduct of the case.
Chief investigates.
william J. Flynn chief of the in-
Ncsugation bureau OF the department
IL justice. anu his force OF secret sery-
lce men have before them the taslx of
unraveling the facts Concerning the al
!SSed system of supreme court decision
'caKs' which 1t Is believed has been
u, operation for more Inan two wears.
he question .of whether this alleged
system presents an actual, leak from
oourt attacne or system OF deduc-
ugeisions and speculated on their
bunches' remains for Chief Flynn
ana ms aides to determine
Ihe TACT is, however, that on Dec, 6
Il Vas, able TO notify Judge Ames and
Shlef Flynn, whereupon Information
h YES given to me by man in u position
TO know. that a certain We ushington
lawyer was in New York claiming to
b0 in possession of the supreme court
t-seisioa IN the hard liquor case which
Vas handed down by the court shortly
islor noon yesterday. Immediately
hptisled Judge eAnes md Chief Flynn
tisst this decision, according To- NV in
. loliiiant, would uphold the constitution
ity cf the dry act. It ts also q matter
sG. iescpru that this iawyer vent to Wall
aSla~t and made an ARRANGEMENT to
ssiSde ssl III Y. y. food products stock on
/ ssssntorma don" that the decision of the
Aytlftl would cause this stock to decline
[sFkp rice. For some unknown reason
t.u court did not hand down the de-
4 lason OH, the liquor question d week
a.so Monday, as had been Anticipated
iid The lawyer returned to Wa shingtoD.
II is matter of record in the de-
lafthient OF justice that this same
yer appeared in New York on Sat
uiy, Dec. IL. and again opened nego-
Nations to speculate on Monday morn
i & III United states food products
COCK. his idea being to sell it short on
Cry decision 1t was just at this
'ilNcture TINT Caicf Flynn stepped in
nd ihtcrroGated this lawyer. Chief
! .snn had been at Washington on the
! cvious sunday and had there ques-
oncd lawyer employed in the de-
l.tncnt OF Justice and also the secre-
t'.ry ,of one Of the members of the
! lfcma court, The latter two men
arc found to he well acquainted and
IN fact were partners III small COM
IicrSial institution at Washington.
Questions Men.
Chief Flynn said:
II intcrroratcd these three men. The
la&ycf connected with The department
OF justice admitted that he knew the
lawyer Il later nterrogated in New
York and he confessed that he had
lcen in New York with this lawyer and
lad spcculated in southern Pacific
Htock Oh Monday, Nov. II. the day that
the supreme court handed down its
H7yerse decision in the oil lands case.
Tits man. also admitted that he had
gc'd the stock short and had cleaned
M about three points.
"l'hc secretary of orc of the mem-
hcrs of the court vigorously denied that
lc had ever made n deal out of. stock
speculation or had used any court in
fornatio and he seemed entirely un-
sophisticated aS regards stock market
operations,
1T was true he was associated with
The department of justice lawyer in a
small commercial business. Both the
department of Justice lawyer and the
lawyer iDtcrrogated in New York on
Monday denied to me that there was
any ACTUAL leak and both set up the
claim that they Were operating on a
system of deduction. Just how they
verdict of yesterday taxes credulity. 1t
Is true that the department of justice
was warned by Mr.. Few, through the
investigation made by the International
News Service that one of these lawyers
in a conversation in New York more
than two weeks ago said that in case
there was any trouble with the depart
ment of justice it had been prear-
ranged that 'alibi would be that there
was no leak, but that the lawyers were
merely guessing what the decisions
would be-
PIums Of Street.
The Southern Pacific action of sew.
eral weeks ago was one of the 'plums"
of the, street for those who We're on
the inside" II is this sstock which the
department of justice lawyer admitted
that he played,
The stock records in Southern Pacific
show, that the stock closed on Satur-
Day nov. is. at 1OS 3-4 and that only
26.6 ares were dealt in on that day.
On, -onday. however the day on which
the courts decision was handed down.
n total of 120,5eo shares were dealt in
and the stock tuplbled from los IA TO
low mark of 90 SIS.
United States food products. which
stock would be affected most by the
if1uor decisions. dropped eight points. in
AS many minutes yesterday when the
decision hit the street.
The original Information and the be-
lief that the supposedly inviolate de-
"isions Of the supreme court were leak
inE to Wall street in advance OF their
n,tbic announcement was furnished to
Chief Justice White and his associates
on Nov. 20 by the editor of the Inter-
national News Service as a matter of
public duty. After consultations ex-
tending over three days Chief Justice
White declared that there was sufii-