Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-13
Pelletier's
Bank Roll .
is Glimpsed

bOSlOH, jan. L. ne DdHk account
of District Attorney Joseph C. Pelle-
tier on trial in supreme court on
charges of misconduct, again was be-
fore the court today when Attorney
General G. Watson Allen in an offer
of proof charged that Pelletier re-
ceived $4,000 of a $4,000 fee paid in
settlement of civil litigation in 1917.
Walter 4. Buckley, salesman, tes-
tilted that he signed q release with
drawing a claim for $4,000 against
his employer, a feather goods firm,
after he had been threatened by Pei
letter with indictment. Louis Gouls-
ton, a Boston lawyer, who had repre-
scented Alderman and Brummel, the
! firm against whom the claim had been
made, testified that he employed DAN
liel II. Coakley, another attorney. to
aid IN in handling the case and that
after l->.,klcy had signed the release
he gave Coakley a check for $4,000.
He said his part of the fee was 3d.
$50.
The government offered bank rec
ords to support its contention that
| Coakley paid Pelleticr $500 of the
| fee in return for Pelletier's aid in CO.
ercing Buckley by threats Of prosecN-
| ton to withdraw the claim.
l.. A. Haskell. of the Beacon Trust
! Company. testified that Coakley de-
posted $4,000 on February I. 1917.
the day after Buckley had signed the
release, and that on me same day he
withdrew 5000 in bills. Emerson
w. Sosworth, of the Old Colony Trust
Company, testified that Pelletier de-
/ posted $500 in bills en- February 3.
/ The government called the courts at
| tention to the fact that $500 repre-
scented the difference tetween the So
go Coakley Withdrew from his bank
and the $3.50 Goulston testified he
| received.
The Buckley case. consisting of two
counts which charged Pelletier with
:. aiding in scheme To coerce settle
ment of civil litigation by threats OF
criminal prosecution. is the 18th in
stance of alleged misconduct present
ed by the government in the trial
through which the Attorney General
seeks the removal of the District Afr
torney.
Charles IT. Emerson. a close friend
OF Buckley, testified that Pelletier
! sent for him. and informed him "it
, looks like I'll have % irdict Buckley
| Emerson said he told Pelletier he
/ thought the District Attorney ought
to be on the other side and that
! "Ackerman and Brummel were fine
! pair for him to Re protecting he
told Buckley of this interview and
! Buckley. who had planned a new
business connection, withdrew his
claim because he was afraid he would
! be indicted. Buckley was never in
dicted. Emerson testified.
| The court was occupied during
most of the day with the cross-eX-
animation of Robert Matches. who
testified last week in connection with
a charge of conspiracy against Pei
letter, that he understood the Dis
trict Attorney was to get $4,000 OF a
$20.500 fee paid by the Emerson Mo-
tors company of New York to avert
prosecution.
senator DdIltS A. INttu VI Ah''''''oi'
senior counsel for Pelletier sought to
impeach the witness by introduction
of statements made in an applica-
ton to President Harding for a par
don from a sentence imposed in dis
trict court in New York. contendine
the statements contradicted testi-
mony given by Matches during the
present hearing. The court permitted
the statements to go into the record
but declined to pass at this time on
the merits of Reeds claim of i'm
parchment.
The court took under advisement
the question of admitting the record
of Matches conviction. after Attor-
ney General Allen had objected that
it was incompetent under. Massachu
sets laws because final judgment
had never been entered.