The Washington times., 1924-06-04
CALLS HIS
COUNSEL
OUT Of
CASE
Refuses to Testify, Branding
Probe as IIIegaI-cites
Brothers Court Victory

Former Attorney General Harry
NJ. Daugherty today defied the
Wheeler Brookhart committee to
compel him to testify in the Sem.
ate investigation of his admins
tration of the Department of JUS
tice. Daugherty had been ordered
to appear on Friday. %
He told Senator Brookhart (R.)
Of Iowa, the committee chairman,
in, a letter that he would not APP
pear, becausevthe committee had
| no authority to make him testify.
He also ordered his counsel 10
drop his defense, and they quit
the hearing.
This was the same issue sue
cessfully raised by the former At
torney Generals brother, Nal
Daugherty, of Washington Court
House, Ohio, who would not per-
NIT the committee to examine the
books of his bank. A Federal
court at Cincinnati upheld NAL
Daugherty's position. Senator
Brookhart declared the evidence
had convicted Daugherty and that
the cases would be taken to the
United States Supreme Court.
Refers to Decision.
Daugherty referred to the Cincin.
natl decision and said that III view
OF that ''it would seem to me to he
a vain thing to continue all illegal
proceeding and inquiry. AMI 1 must
therefore decline to appear before
your committee"
Judge Cochran holds squarelv
that your committee has been and
is now exercising a power no.
| granted by the Constitution, ex.
pressly or by implication, and that
each and all of your actions under
Senate resolution No. 157 are abso.
lutely void" Daugherty added, say
ing he had also instructed his coun.
sci, Paul Rowland and George e.
Chamberlain, to withdraw immedi.
ately from the hearings.
Daugherty not only denied the
authority OF the COMMITTEES, hut
fatty contradicted charges that he
was guilty Of any wrongdoins while
Attorney General.
Conceded by Br00Ixhart.
| When the letter was read, Brook.
hart, attacking Daughert rs stand,
said the committee comedies that II
cannot foi ce Daugherty to appear
before the committee and disclose
facts that might incr,lninate him
and the committee will not insist"
But we will call upon the proper
Government authorities to handle
Daugherty's case If he continues to
refuse to appear" Brookhart add.
ed. THE opinion of Judge Coch-
ran will be appealed to the Su.
preme Court"
Rowland and Chamberlain then
promptly left the room, shaking
hands with all members of the
committee as they walked out.
Senator Wheeler Dem.) of Mon.
tana was not present.
Because of Daugherty's letter,
Brookhart announced he would ask
that the committee draft "a partial
report" but also would insist that
the committee resume hearings "at
later date"
Denies Any Culpability.
II take occasion to contradict and
deny any Inference, surmise or sus-
picion that profited in any illegal,
corrupt or unethical way. directly
or indirectly, by reason of any &C.
tivities Of political associates or
| friends at any time. or that my
conduct, either official or personal.
was directly or indirectly influenced
at any time. in any way, by venal
and corrupt motives" Daugherty
said.
mo witness has appeared before
your committee who has by sur
mise. innuendo. suspicion or other.
wise, intimated the existence Of
any such circumstance, except by
way of the grave, and the silence
of the tomb has forever rendered
the direct denial of these ISLANDERS
impossible" he added.
Daugherty expressed ama7ement
! that he had not before been given