Evening star., 1922-12-01
LAWYERS GATHER
BOND CLIQUE DATA
Interest Grows Lively in
Charges to Be Sifted Tues
day by Judges.

Interest in the court investigation
OF the charges made by Attorney
Royal Hughes Of alleged conspiracy
OF certain professional bondsmen and
Police Court lawyers, to be held Tues
day night by Judges Hardison and
Mcmahon. is growing among men,
bers Of the legal fraternity.
Several well known attorneys, who
practice In the police courts were,
1t was said. gathering data Of GER
tain cases in which the alleged acts
Of the bondsmen and lawyers will be
submitted to the hearing In specific
cases Of record.
Among some of the things that will
be brought out at the hearing is a
case where three defendants, charged
with violating the national prohibi-
tion law. were out on bond, Ona for
SSo0 and the other two on $1,000 each.
was settled out OF court by payment
or small fines. only two OF the de-
PENDANTS appearing. The other man,
who was bonded for $1,000. disappear
ed and the bondsman. to save his
$i:ooO bond surety. paid a fine for the
the assistant district attorney that
the missing defendant was present.
Reported Clash With Police.
A well known bondsman doing busi-
ness at the Police Court said yester-
day that recently at hearing before
one OF the United States commission
ers OF q whisky case words passed
In which police officer told a bonds
man that through the latter's per-
nicious activities in cases which the
prohibition agents and police had
made after painstaking efforts. che
cases had been disposed OF on the
payment of fines. This police officer
In open court: Il know enough about
you and your crooked work as bonds
man and taking fees as lawyer to
send you to the penitentiary."
II half the evidence that is the
basis of general discussion among the
attorneys around the courthouse is
brought out at the special hearing.
Attorney Hughes will more than
make good his charges, said well
known attorney today.
Would Restrict Privileges.
Assistant District Attorney Ralph
Given believes that II the police de-
partment would prohibit the bonds
tion house to see prisoners, defend
ants doing their business through
their attorneys first, and not with
the bondsmen. the possibilities of
operating the alleged conspiracies
between the bondsmen. police. reve.
would be entirely eliminated.
Another suggestion of Mr.. Given
is that the courts appoint one deputy
clerk to take bonds after the close
of the courts at o'clock. from the
clerks offices in the courts. up to and
including. say. IL o'clock at night
and that after that hour no more
bonds be taken for release Of pris-
onerS until the courts are in session
the next morning. with the excep-
tion where a writ of habeas corpus
Is issued
Hearing to BE Public.
The hearing of the charges made by
Attorney Royal Hughes. to be held Tues
day night next, will be open to all who
desire to attend and tell what they know
Of the alleged irregular conditions
Judge Robert Hardison said today that
the purpose of the hearing was to get
at the bottom Of the facts contained in
the charges made by Attorney Hughes
and bring out other charges. II such
exist. He said that the hearing would
be in the nature OF a judicial hearing.
but not confined to the strict rules Of
evidence: that anyone who had anything
to say on the subject would be heard. to
obtain evidence to be used as leads for
Investigations by the court for further
and fuller consideration.
1T is the purpose Of Judge Mcmahon
and myself" said Judge Hardison, Ito
so to the root of this thing and if We
can secure sufficient evidence We will
be enabled to break up the alleged con-
ditions complained of by Attorney
Hughes, and which have been current
gossip around the courts for a long
time. We are in possession of some
startling alleged irregularities. which, if
proved. will be Of the most serious ma
ture as violations Of the law"