The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-10-07
.SLAT1ERY REMOVED
As j. s. Attorney
BYEXECuT|vE ORDER
Maysyllle Man Is Ousted and Sawyer
Smith Is Immediately Nom
matted as His Successor
Makes Statement.

been declared vacant, sawyer A.
Smith, Of Barboursville, priminent
corporation lawyer, was nominated by
President Harding to be United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of
Kentucky Thursday.
Thomas d. Slattery, United States
District Attorney, who had repeatedly
refused requests Of Attorney General
Daugherty that he resign, and defied
the Republican administration to oust
him, was removed by Department Of
Justice officials to pave the way for
the appointment Of Mr.. Smith.
The war waged by District Attorney
Slattery and the Department of Justice
officials dates back to shortly after
the inauguration of President Hard
ing. According to report, District At
torney Slattery then received an un-
published request to resign. No charge
was made against him in the request.
He refused to resign, saying that he
believed that, as the administration
found no fault with his services, he
should be allowed to serve out his
term.
This refusal brought another re-
quest couched in stronger terms,
again asking him to resign. He then
made a public statement, saying: II
will not resign"
This public statement. sent broad
cast through the press, signaled ac-
tion by Attorney General Daugherty.
The Attorney General wired him to
resign at once. Again the District At
torney flatly refused, this time saying
he would, however, as subordinate
official submit to whatever action the
Washington administration might see
fit to take.
The removal of the District Attorney
| lnuTSudf lOliOWcu. lnc DiotiiS az
torney had served seven years
District Attorney Slattery issued a
statement in which he said in part:
81 have not been officially notified of
my removal. but I presume from the
Washington dispatches that the Presi-
dent has taken action,
'T have taken the position from the
first that I was within my legal and
moral rights in refusing to conform to
the request of the Attorney General to
resign. 1t Is to be regretted that the
DepItment Of Justice finds itself un-
| able to resist the demands Of political
expediency.
T have served seven years and
three months as District Attorney, and
under four Attorney Generals, and 1t
is gratifying to know that all of them,
with the possible exception Of Mr..
Daugherty, have by correspondence
manifested their appreciation of the
manner in which the office has been
conducted. While ! have excepted Mr..
Daugherty, | should say that his ex-
aminer, Mr.. Masterson, who recently
completed his examination Of this Of
flee took occasion to personally con-
gratulate me upon the splendid record
Of same.
II have formed many friendships
during my term of Office, which l
shall always cherish fondly, and I
want to say that it has been real
pleasure to have served under such an
able and conscientious Judge as Hon.
A. NJ. J. Cochran.
II shall retain my partnership at
Maysville, KY, and have taken an Of
flee in the Dixie Terminal Building at
Cincinnati and shall practice my pro-
fession both in Kentucky and Ohio"
Mr.. Smith, who succeeds District
Attorney Slattery, is we'll known to
residents Of Covington. He served as
Assistant District Attorney In 1910,
when Governor Edwin P. Morrow was
District Attorney of the Eastern Dis
trict of Kentucky. He is one of the
most prominent Republicans in Ken
lucky, an intimate friend of Governor
Morrow and an acquaintance Of Presi-
dent Harding.
Mr.. Smiths early political career
was brilliant. Shortly after becoming
Of age he was elected County Prosecu-
tor Of Knox county, of which his home
city, Barboursville, is the county seat.
After serving term as County Prose-
cutor he was elected to the State Leg
islature, where he served two terms
and was Republican floor leader.
In 1910 he was named Assistant
District Attorney by Governor Nor
row and served one term until 1914.
TSince 1914 he has enjoyed an extensive
private practice, and, together with
his PARTNER, Judge A. Sampson has
served as counsel in some Of the larg-
est corporation cases heard in Ken