The New York herald., 1920-01-17
Sweet and Newton Fail
to Find Eminent Lawyer
for Trial of Assemblymen
Search of Officials VIII BE Continued Here Today-Stae
Bar Association Action in Support of the AS
sembly Is Proposed.

Although Thaddeus c. Sweet Speaker Of
the Assembly, and Charles D. Newton. At
torney General, devoted all Of yesterday
TO q search for special counsel for the in.
dietary Committee which will try the five
suspended Socialist Assemblymen next
week. none had been retained up to a late
hour last night. It was learned that a
we'll known lawyer has agreed to act for
the committee provided he can obtain ad-
journments of several cases in which he is
/: interested and which are scheduled for
trial during the next month. Neither Mr.
; Sweet nor Mr.. Newton would reveal the
identity of the lawyer.
: The movements Of Mr.. Sweet and Mr..
F.. Newton throughout the gay were kept Sc
/ cret. They appeared in City Hall before
noon and held conference with Senator
, Clayton Lusk, whose committee. invest-
eating Red" activities. was holding a
meeting in the Council Chamber 1t was
, reported they called at the offices of sew
eral prominent lawyers in the afternoon,
! but that was a matter neither Mr.. Sweet
nor Mr.. Newton would discuss.
Accompanied by Senator j. Henry Wal
: ters, president pro tenn of the Senate, Mr..
> Sweet and Mr. Newton arrived at the Muir
ray Hill Hotel for dinner few minutes
before seven o'clock at night. Mr. Sweet
admitted that he and Mr.. Newton had
been ''going over the evidence" that Will
be presented against the Socialist Assem-
hlymen in Albany next week. He gave 1t
as his opinion that he and Mr.. Newton
would know definitely this afternoon just
who the Judiciary Committees counsel
: will be.
Doesn't Mean Delay.
Asked if the delay in obtaining counsel
indicated there might be another adjourn
ment OF the trial, Mr.. Newton said
Not necessarily. You know am law
Yer. / have tried cases myself, but feel
that need outside aid in the presentation
of this case"
In reply to query as to whether the
appearance of fifty subpoenas in this city
meant that numerous persons would be
called as witnesses by the committee, the
Attorney General declared
There is no indication from the mum"
Der of subpoenas that came down as to
how many witnesses will be called. There
may be fewer than fifty and then again
there may be hundred"
Mr.. Newton refused to reveal the names
Of the persons who will be placed on the
stand by the committee. 1t was learned,
: however, that among those certain to be
called are John Spargo, Charles Edward
u. ~.
sianed membership in the Socialist party
soon after the United States declared war
in 1917. These men will be asked, it was
said, IL their action was prompted by the
resolutions adopted by the Socialist con-
vention at st. Louis In April of that year.
Charles f. Hughes has not, as yet, re-
piled to the letter Of Norris Hillquit chief
counsel for the suspended Assemblymeri.
in which the latter suggested The Bar AS
sociation's committee act as associate
counsel for the Socialists at Albany. Mr..
Hughes refused to make any statement
regarding the letter or concerning the COM
mittee's arrangements.
1t was learned that Mr.. Hughes, through
an intermediary, has asked the Socialist
Assemblymen to send him the letters Of
acceptance they addressed to their con-
stituents after their nomination and a
copy OF the platform on which they were
elected.
State Bar Association to Act.
No other feature of the afternoon ses-
sion of the annual meeting Of the New
York Bar Association in the Bar Associa-
t'on Building. No. AZ West Forty-fourth
street, yesterday, aroused the popular in
terest accorded a resolution introduced
by John Brooks Leavitt, of No. Rector
street approving of the action of the
state Assembly in making an inquiry into
the status of the five Socialists recently
releCleu IroIII tndC DOuy. IHe resolution
was made a special order for this after
noon.
The resolution. seconded by A. Forster.
OF No. % Liberty street. follows:
Whereas. the inquiry now being made
by the Assembly of this State as to the
qualifications OF five persons elected to
it. has been the subject of much misrep-
resentation throughout tho State to the
effect that it is an invasion OF the right
os free speech, and
Whereas the real issue in that inquiry
is whether or not said persons, as mem
hers of an organization which. though
calling itself political party is, il the
charges against it are true. body of
traitorous conspra tors for the overthrow
by violence of our republican form of
government and substitute in it's place a
Soviet twyanny. are themselves. by virtue
of that affiiation. to be considered as
--------------