Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-06
Judge Pierce Makes
Sweeping Denial of
Misconduct Charges

Boston, April J.-JuStice Edward 7.
Pierce of the Massachusetts, supreme
court today filed a denial of all spec-
tications submitted last week in a pc
tition calling for his removal by legis-
lat.ve address. The information of
George =. Poland and Loring p Jordan.
charged that between 1917 and 1921
Judge Pierce accepted gifts and gra-
tuitAs from W. Edwin Timer, an at
torney, to the value of $1,000 inc Guiding
roses. firewood and vegetables. from
the Waban Rose Conservatives and
the Henry Woods Sons Co. while liti-
cation in connection with the conserv-
atories' affairs was pending before the
supreme court.
In his answer Judge Pierce denied
all charges of misconduct and filed de-
tailed replies to some of the allega-
tions. To all others he entered a gen
eral denial.
He said that he had received gifts
of flowers from Mr.. Timer. his neigh
Dor, and that when he protested that
he did not want them was told that
tiiSS "CiC hould IiuN Z
to be thrown away.
He said he tried unsuccessfully. to
get bill for the wood. which was
poor. and that he had no knowledge at
the time of the gifts of vegetables.
The reply denied that Judge Pierce
ever sought to induce the petitioners
to waive any rights of their clients. or
that he ever found on facts or made
other than a formal interlocutory de-
cree in which Timer was counsel.
Referring to alleged gifts of flow
ers. wood and vegetables. Judge
Pierce said:
Mr. Timer sent flowers to my house
although 1 had then and have now no
reason to believe that they were in
value or amount as great as would be
inferred from the specifications. l re-
peatedly told Mr.. Timer that did not
want them and wished he would stop
sending them. He assured me that they
cost very little, that many of them
were surplus flowers or short stemmed,
unsaleable. and would merely be vast
cd II not given away. I supposed that
he regarded them as an appreciation of
the time | had given to certain bust
moss talks I had had with him, and I
did not go further than to protest.
Il bought of Mr.. Timer on one &C.
casion some firewood + think there
may have been from one to two cords
OF 1t. 1t proved to be of very poor
qaulity, old and infested with ants,
much to the annoyance of my neigh
Dors and myself. However, had
agreed and expected to pay for it.
and repeatedly endeavored to get a
bill fixing the amount, but without
success. / never supposed nor had
reason to suppose that it was in
tended as a gift.
i am told that on a few occa sions
some vegetables were delivered to the
cook at my home by Mr.. Timers di-
rection. l had no knowledge of these
incidents at the time, or until it was
too late to prevent them"
Concerning other specifications in
the information, Judge Pierce said:
Il did not have knowledge as alleg-
ed that Mr.. Timer was acting illeg-
any or Improperly in respect of the
property and management of corpor-
atoms or was wasting or diverting
their assets.
Il specifically deny that at any time
after Mr.. Timer began to talk over
with me the business matters refer
red to I ever in any hearing found
facts or made others than a merely
formal interlocutory decree in any
suit in which he was counsel.
Il specifically deny that I ever
sought publicly or privately to induce
or persuade the petitioners to waive
certain beneficient rights to which
their clients were entitled by law so
that aid Timer would be helped in
his effort to keep control Of said cor
porations.'
cranifinoI1x,