Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-11
INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE IS
About THROUGH
Taking of Oral Testimony
Concluded-Judge Barley
Flags Newspaper
ARGUMENTS MARCH ID
John S. Barbour and Frank stuart
Will Be Hoard BY Committee
Next Wednesday.

In the meeting Of the bar associa-
ton committee investigating the Ill
rorce conditions yesterday. the cross
examination of Judge Robinson Mon
cure was snort, and utterly deVoid OF
! the "fireworks" which some had eX-
pccted. SO thoroughly had the Judge
coverei the ground in his dlrect
| statement, coming, as it did: after all
witnesses who had charges to make
| had been heard. that there was NIUE
!, left for the cross-eXamlners 10 ASK
| him.
The nearing Of evidence was conf
! uiclrd shortly before O'Clock, ana,
after an inquiry by Chairman howard
". Smith as 10 whether there was
anyone else VINO desired TO testify,
Judge i. {. Barley moved that the
hearing Of evidence be closed. John ,.
| Barbour, counsel for Judge Moncure,
| ,hnu stated that he would desire TO
present an argument to the commit
fec. and Attorney Frank Stuart. re-
| cursted the same privilege, stating
| th,t hr stood in the position of prose-
ru,cr. and claimed the right as sucn to
! make the opening and closing argu-
mcrt. The committee decided that as
! this WAS an investigating committee,
and not Il court, that phase or the mat,
ter was n subject for discussion ana
! .lcrision Of the committee. me pup
lie hearing WAS then closed. ana the
rnmmitic" went into executive session.
Tho date set for hearing Arguments
| &c counscl was set for next Wednes-
day, March 10.
Just before adiourning Tor lunch
con. Judge Barley called attention TO
an article in Washington paper,
| which quoted Judge BARLEY and Judge
Norton with making the following
remarks at the Wednesdays session
Of the committee:
In .hc midst of Moncure's state
mcnt. Judge Barley, who mas been re-
poatediv referred to as one OF the
whtcwashnrs.' of the divorce ring, IN
terruptcd the speaker 10 say:
".AIr. Chairman. J move you, slf,
| that since il is the sense Of this COM
mi,rcc that none Of the charges
apajnst Judge Muncure have been sub
stantiated. and that Mr.. Cobb, OF the
Washington Times. refused to appear
before this body, that the whole mat
ter should be dropped right where II
stands.
Judge J. X. NJ. Norton, another
member of the committee, blocked the
move by declaring that he could not
agree to such 4 procedure. =,
- think we should go INTO II
thoroughly am not at all SATISFIED 10
drop the investigation.
| Judge Barley obtained a transcript
Of the evidence as shown by the re-
port of the official stenographer, when
reads as follows:
JUDGE BARLEY: ! think, if the
committee please. that in view Of the
| fact that Mr.. Cobb did not appear and
substantiatc the charges made IN the
/ newspaper, that the charges have not
hccn made out. 50 far a. the commit
tee is concerned, and therefore the
committee really has nothing to. 90
with them, except informally, and L
think the Judge is not supposed TO
answer them, as they are not before
the committee.
JUDGE NORTON: / don't agree
with Judge Barley exactly. think
that whatever has been said by the
Times. they not having appeared to
substantiatc their charges, the Judge
Shr.:ld have an opportunity 10 answer
those charges. We had better !et MN
20 on ard make such statements aS
nc THINKS best with regard to those
charges, and then nobody can say thac
we have not met this issue fairy ana
| squarcIy.'
| Judge Barley stated that the pur-
pose nf his remarks was that, Judge
Noncurc having already made quite
number If alluSionS to the articles In
the Times, he probably would not
think i; necessary 20 20 into the artl-
cIes anv further. and his remarks were
merely intended to shorten the testl-
mony tc that extent, if Judge Mon
cure did not think it necessary to go
into 'h"n, further. He said that the
first he knew Of the quotation was
that a friend called him up on the
telephone and asked him about 1t.
Il love to Try to think well OF my
fcIlow-man," said Judge Barley IL
love to think that he tries to tell the
truth. Sitting as this reporter did,
within the sound Of my voice. and
! hearing what occurred, L couiu .iios
nave boon misunderstood. 1t was
wi?ful, deliberate pcrvcrsion of the
truth, and am constrained to believe
that those who were responsible for
his carly rearing failed to tell hum.
and failed to incucate in him the diff
ference between the truth and he.
(Applausc.) ! cannot believe that he
could possibly have thought what he
has written to be the truth, and AS he
has been reared from childhood to
(Contipued on page threel