The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-16
SPECULATIVE PURPOSES

Washington. Dee. is,-~-7-fle depart
nens af Justice tonight was preparing
a statement CIV ing details of its In
vcstisattoa @ alleged supreme court
leak which gave certain persons
asva see information Of The courts
decifi.r On the time prohibition
act today.
Judge e. Il; Anes, ASSISTANT stior-
general. WAS understood To have
been 10 conference this afternoon with
Chief Iu&t.se White ~ the supreme
court. whn askod that sn investigation
u male III IL assumed that the In
vcssigation gained By the CLIQUE m
VOWED was used fer speculative prr-
poser.
The investigation already includes
the action CT lawyer employed in the
department Of justice. minor at
tAchc of thu supreme court and
New York attorney.
Chief William !. Flynn. of the In
veatigation bureau OF the department
u< Justice, has been conducting the
fuQu1ry n accordance with fnstruc-
tionx issue-i by Judge AnreA
there is an investigaftpn being
0snducted.' Judge Ames ahmfttsd to-
ueght- But the department II mot
rendy to give the facts publicity yet.
xnn6unuch a. many OF them arc al
raoAy known, however, am pre-.
pa1lng 4 statement. which probably
Wau be issued by. the department later
an the evening.
Chtef Flynn, It Was learned, ques-
toned here last night two men who
are connected with the government
ord Il IL known that he talked with
Washington lawyer in New York City
a. morning. He hold the latter con-
vBsAtion prior 70 the hour when the
aBprente court deciaion on the prchi-
h1ftsn' Acf was handed down.
RuMORE OF LEAK
.rherc has been an investigation Of
= yumor that supreme court cases
were leaking to Wall street and this
tu3oatigation IL being continued"
Chief Flynn is reported 70 have said.
No arrests have been made hut three
men have been questioned. II is pos
Hble that two lawyers wfl1 be brought
before the court on disbarSncnt pro-
casdlngs.
1T Is the claim Of these men that
there has been no actual leak" Of
6ecigicns Of the supreme court but
esny set up the CLAIM, that for some
nme they have been conducting a
@yBtem of 'forecasting' supreme
court decisions by process OF legal
deductions.
One al the lawyers interrogated IL
employed by the department Of Justice
Another man Intercepted at wash.
inGtOn last night Is a minor attache of
ne supreme court. There il no proof
that the court Attache has done any
thing wrong or tina. Re did participate
evan In the Fronts Of an alleged system
Of forecasting decisions Of the court
Our invests cation has disclosed a re
lAtsonship between q department OF
Justice lawyer and another lawyer who
went 70 New York yesterday ana in !.
soprano court decisions in the wet and
dry cases would uphold the constitu-
tipnaiity OF the law"
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
On last Mondsy, according to Mr..
flynn. the department Of justics
lawyer was In New York and sold
8outhern Pacific Nstsck shortly hefore
the supreme court banded down It's
adverse decision in the Southern pa
ctflc case.
IT IL trua.'. said Chief p1ynn. tia.
the lawyer who ID supposed to have
made the deductions and the lawyer
we're IN New York on the Monday that
the sunreme court decision In tbs
Southern Pacific case was hant.sd
H0wn. They roomec together At the
waldorf Astoria ana the department Of
tuettcN lawyer did not register. but
slept In the room Of tho other man. ano
thai on Monday he sold Southern Pa
cine short ana TOOK proft Of three
points on the adverse decision
'Desrite remarkable circumstances ~
u nevertheless the contention Of al
those nen that there ID no leak from
the court but that il has been possible
nv study ~ the eases TO guess what
the decisions will be.
n rNporteJ these facts to tbs de-
fCoakinnA On Parn T,unn,