New-York tribune., 1920-10-14
District Attorney Is Only
One of All Candidates
10 Whom Association
Refuses Its Approval
His Experience
Held Inadequate
Terrorizing of Witnesses
and Abuse of Official
Privileges Are Charged

After conference held behind
closed doors at the Bar Association of
the City of New York, ~ West Forty
fourth Street, last night, it was an
nounced that the judiciary committee
would not only refuse to indorse the
candidacy of District Attorney Edward
f. Swami for Supreme Court judge, out
after an investigation into his judicial
and public acts members of the COM
mittee found him wholly unsuited for
elevation of any kind.
1t was announced that the prosecutor
was the only nominee of both parties
who had failed to be sanctioned for
either Supreme or City Court Judge
ships.
The report of the committee, of
which William d. Guthrie is chairman,
arraigned the public career of Judge
Swami from the time when he was a
member OF Congress, through his ad-
ministration as d judge Of the Court
Of General Sessions, and pointedly
charged him with Oppression and in
t!midaton" as a public prosecutor OF
New York County,
Action has a Precedent.
The failure to indorse Mr.. Swami,
however, was not the first of its kind
this year In May the Judiciary Com
mittee Of the Bar Association refused
to indorse Supreme Court Justice John
Ford or Judge Peter Hendrick, who
sought denomination.
Following their denunciation of Mr..
Swami the committee reported favora-
BIZ on the candidacy of present Justice
William p Burr, former Corporation
Counsel of New York; Edward J. Nc
Martin Of the Bronx; Robert Nc
WasserVogel, all candidates for cleo
ton.
Regarding the Socialist nominees the
committee Went on record as follows:
"Thc professional career and repute
Of the candidates nominated by the
Socialist party have been investigated
and do not in the judgment of your
committee indicate the requisite fitness
and qualifications for important judi
cial Office"
Reilley and Hartman Indorsed
The committee then indorsed Judge
Thomas T. Reilley and Judge Gustave
Hartman for reelection as City Court
judges.
The committee passing on Judge
Swann's past record and present quail
fcations, in addition to Mr.. Guthrie,
consists of former Justice Francis NJ.
Scott. William NJ. Dykman, Isidore J.
Kressel, De Lancey Nicoll. Lewis l.,
Delaheld and Henry W. Taft.
The first reason given for refusing
TO sanction further public office of
Judge Swami was his "lack Of legal
experience which the report stts
forth "is limited and wholly made
quate'
His record. the report continues, had
not been noteworthy and his services
when judge of the Court cf General
Sessions were not satisfactory.
AS District Attorney, the report sets
,orth, ne has resorted to the practice
of terrorizing defendants in criminal
cases, of seeking to obtain incrimi-
mating evidence from them by oppres-
Slve methods, and he has frequently
made public for sensational purposes
evidence procured by him to be sub
mltted to the grand jury
Official Record Criticized
Continuing, the report recitcs thai
"Mr Swann's record in Congress was
. not noteworthy. and his service as a
: Judge OF the Court of General Sessions
was not satisfactory. His rulings
were severely criticized by the Court
of Appeals and by the Appellate Di-
vision"
After chronicling several cases il
which the District Attorney as judge
was overruled, the report continues:
An examination of the record in q
case of conviction in which he was
reversed by the Court of Appeals dis
ciosed that Judge Swanns conduct at
tne trial invited just criticism because
Continual nm ncxt nanel