New Britain herald., 1924-05-02
Czar of Baseball Called Into Daugherty Hearing As serts Politics Aided in Getting Sentence Com- muted.
MUCH PRE-WAR STUFF
 AT DINNER PARTIES

"esoh' way z-heneeaW Mountain Landis, former federal judge at Chicago and now the c.ar of baseball, was called today in the senate Daugherty investigation to tell Of the sentence imposed upon ana the pardon later granted to Philip Grossman, a Chicago ex-saloonkeeper. charged with prohibition law viola ton.
 Got Executive Clenlency
 Grossman's conviction, Judge Lam dis said, resulted from the testimony of six witnesses who said he sold whiskey. The court added a charge or contempt of court. Previous wit nesses have testified that although a sentence to the house of correction was imposed, Grossman was able to forestall actual incarceration and finally was given executive clemency by President Coolidge,
 The committee was confused as to how Grossman's conviction showed on the records as being for contempt of court.
 The contempt of court was charr- ed.H Judge Landis said, "because Grossman continued to run saloon after . restraining order had been ls- sued to stop him"
 Although the Judge insisted there were six witnesses to Grossman's derelictions. Senator Wheeler cited department of justice representation to President Coolidge that but one witness had testified to the incident of selling wbiskey, which resulted in the mans sentence for contempt.
 Criticixcs Republicans
 The activities of Fred Upham, treasurer of the republican national committee, Homer Galpin, Cook coun- ty chairman, and others of political power, must be criticised. Judge Lan- dis said. in the Grossman case.
 Asked whether he meant to criticise the exercise of executive authority in the case. the judge replid that he couldn't understand how Grossman ever got his pardon"
 If you want to call that attitude criticism" he added, T guess I'll have to let it stand.'
 It was pointed out that C. W. Mid dlekauf, special assistant attorney general in Chicago. recommended Grossman's pardon.
 ''I think Middlekauf talked to me-" Judge Landis said, "and said the evi- dcnce against Grossman should not have been depended upon. because one of the witnesses was not credit able.
 '1 told him to remember that if Grossman got pardoned. the other fellows convicted upon the same evi- dence should be gotten out, too. You know. you don't get a Sunday school convention in these liquor cases"
 Landis Blames Politics
 Senator Wheeler read 10 Judge Landis a newspaper interview in which he had strongly criticised the Grossman pardon and had said that political influence had exactly as much right to influence executive power in pardon as 1t did to influence the judicial power before conviction"
 Those are my views" Judge Landis asserted.
 He was asked about the liquor sItu- ation in Chicago.
 You can't go to a dinner party" he said. where the talk is not for ten minutes about the Nolstcad law. and fifty minutes about bobbed hair"
 When Chairman Brookhart pushed a query about these dinner parties" the witness responded:
 Plenty To Drink.
 "You are asking me 10 violate the laws Of hospitality now. I'll confess I'm not a total abstainer. IT you talked to me about a law that would lei people serve stun to guests tn their homes. well I might fall for that"
 Then as an afterthought he went on.
 Tim most impressed with the hang ing-on powers of this pre-war stun. and the hostess always comes up and says to try this. because it's q little that's left over from the old years. They seem honest"
 Iandis Is steadfast
 Paul Rowland. counsel for H M. Daugherty. took Judge I4andis over for cross-examination. His first ques- ton was whether Judge Iandis want cd to "criticIze the use Of the pxecu- tive power in the absence of knovl- edge as to the full facts"
 The witness reiterated that he ''could not understand" the pardon.
 'If you had known that both sen- ators from Illinois recommended this pardon. would it influence your judg- racnt" Howlard asked.
 Not a particle" Judge Landis flashed back.
 Senator Moses. republican. New