Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-15
WATSON CONDUCTS
. own CASE BEFORE
JUDGE DE-. WALKER
Remarks to Cout Concern
ing Conduct Of Subcom-
mittee in Atlanta Are
Caustic in Extreme
BY RALPH SMITH
(The Journals Staff Correspondent

BY RALPH SMITH
(The Journals Staff Corresponding
WARRENTON, Ga, May IA
Thomas E. Watson appeared in per-
son and conducted his own case be-
fore Judge B. F. Walker when the
injunction against the Democratic
state executive committee, and
against the subcommittee on rules
of the state committee, came on
for hearing at II o'clock this morn
ing in the Warren county court
house.
Mr.. Watson drove over in an au
tomobile from Thomson in company
with his attorney, B. ]. Stephens,
who filed the petition asking for
the injunction. He was apparently
in good humor and high spirits.
Scores of friends greeted him on his
arrival at the courthouse square.
Although in good humor, his re-
marks to Judge Walker concerning
their meeting in Atlanta last Tues
day. were .caustic in the extreme.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Watson's
argument, Judge Walker continued
the injunction in force until the next
regular term of his court in October,
but took no action for the present
toward holding the members of the
subcommittee in contempt.
Mr.. Watson informed the news
paper men that he would go back be-
fore Judge Walker after the presi-
Dental convention, which is to be
held in Atlanta May Is, and ask
that the members of the subcommit-
tee be cited for contempt. 1t was
also quite probable, he intimated,
that the entire state executive COM
mitee would be cited for contempt If
they took any action next Monday
in Atlanta which sought to control
the state convention. The injunction,
he pointed out, is directed to the
entire state committee as we'll as to
the subcommittee on rules.
Au1t Reads Answer
The hearing was scheduled to be-
gin at 10 o'clock. Judge Walker
was delayed an hour in reaching
Warrenton, so 1t did not commence
until II o'clock. Mr.. Watson and his
attorney, Mr.. Stephens, were ready
at that hour. So was E. S. Au1t,
the well-known Cedartown attorney,
who came to represent the subcom-
mittee.
The answer was read by Attorney
Ault was signed by James J. Flynt,
as chairman of the state committee
and Of the subcommittee. Attorney
Ault stated that Judge Flynt was the
only member who had been served.
This was promptly denied by Mr..
Watson, who said he was prepared
to show that all of the subcommit-
tee were served, and that all of them
took cognizance of service by dis
cussing the injunction at their meet
ing in Atlanta last Tuesday.
In the answer, Judge Walker was
asked to dismiss the injunction on
the ground that Mr.. Watson's petit
Llon was not drawn up in proper
form. He was further asked to dis
quallty himself on the ground that
ne is himself a delegate to the
presidential convention, and hence an
interested party. The answer eIso
aoemurred on the ground that the petit
ton m, set up no cause of action.
When the answer had been read
Mr.. Watson presented his arpument emu
IN winch he scored the subcommit
Tee IN tne most caustic terms.
watson Charges Contempt
Inc tlme for the members of the
subcommittee to answer this order as
respondents is gone,'' he said. "Tbev
were served with the order of this
court, they had the order read 70
them, they discussed it and consid-
cred 1t, then they deliberately yioIat-
Gu ~; Iney cannot come now as re-
spondents to answer it. If they come
at all, they must come as defendants
10 snow cause why they should not
be adJudged guilty of contempt
They scorned the order of this court.
) Ihey spat upon it. They threw it
on the floor, SO to speak, and wiped
their feet upon it. Their contempt
for the court was insolent and insult
ing in the highest degree. 1t os too
late, therefore, to answer the order as
respondents. hey made themselves
uefendants in contempt proceeding
by their contemptuous disregard Of
the order of the court"
MI. watson then produced an affi-
daVit from Benjamin NJ. Blackburn,
OF Atlanta, who represented him at
the meeting of the subcommittee i'm
Atlanta last Tuesday, showing that
the injunction was served personally
on Judge Flynt, the chairman, and
was read by Secretary Gardner to the
entire subcommittee, and was dis
CuSoCo ny tie SnIIEe subcommittee,
and was disregarded by them in their
action declaring A. Mitchell Palmer
the winner of the presidential pri-
mary.
Jucge Walker then passed an or
der continuing the injunction in
force until the next regular term of
his court in October. He issued no
order citing the members of the sub
committee for contempt. Mr.. Wat
son explained to the newspaper men,
when questioned on this point, that
he would press the contempt proceed
ings after the convention. He called
attention to the fact that the in
junction applied to the entire state
executive committee as well as to
the subcommittee, and that the state
committee had better becareful what
action it took in Atlanta next Mon
day, or else the whole committee
would be in contempt. He said he
was coming to the convention next
week, and predicted that it was 60
ing to be the liveliest political gath
ering held in Georgia in many a day.