The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-19
english DENIED
RAILROAD LABOR
trial BY JURY
Judge Backed the Scabs
Against Rail Strikers
BY LAURENCE TODD.

Geo. w. English Of the federal district
court at East St. Louis is under threat
Of impeachment on a long list Of
charges, whidh range from the main
tenanee Of bankruptcy ring" where
by he and he friends enriched them
selves, to arrogant tyranny toward
railroad shpp atrlkers.
Chairman Graham Of the house ju-
dietary committee, himself as hard
boiled as reactionaries generally
come, has reported the unanimous
resolution Of his committee that
subcommittee sit all summer, to take
testimony and report next December
with the obvious purpose Of kicking
this Judge of the bench.
GiIlett Aids England.
Speaker Gillett has for more than
a month been obstructing progress in
the case. His latest move is to send
the judiciary committees resolution
to the foot OF the unanimous consent
calendar. instead Of giving it the
privileged status that is generally &C.
corded an impeachment issue. The
result is that all proceedings against
English may be killed until next win
ter.
Disbarred Prominent Lawyers.
Congressman Halves Of st. Louis Of
fered the first resolution demanding
investigation sof English's court. 1t
was sent to the rules committee after
Gillette refused to recognize Halves
for a motion to secure immediate &C
ton under unanimous consent. Chair
man Smell OF the rules committee sat
on it for weeks. Then formal charges
were fled with Gillett by Thomas M.
Webb and Charles A. Karch, promin-
ent attorneys who had been debarred
from practic'5tx in English's court for
insisting on ience by the judge to
the law. o Ter citizens joined in the
charges. they went to sub-commit-
tee of the Judiciary committee, to
whom was offered a list of II wit
nesses who would testify to illegal or
improper acts by the Judge and his
bankruptcy ring" A unanimous re-
port for investigation was made and
approved by the full committee.
Graham offered a resolution person
ally, but Gillett forced it back, as not
being a formal report from commit
tee. 1t came back again as a report,
and went to the bottom of the calen-
dar.
English Fought Strikers.
The charges set forth that Karch,
for example. was counsel for the
striking railroad shopmen in 1922;
that he had been federal district at
torney in that court; that Judge Eng.
fish denied the shopmen the right of
jury trial, and disbarred Karch from
practice in his court when Karch
showed him the law that guarantees
jury trials in such cases.
Later, when Karchs appeal to the
supreme court was nearing argument,
English withdrew his ban on Karch.
Meanwhile he had savagely persecut-
ed the strikers.
In one instance he answered the
plea of mot guilty" by a striker who
had no counsel, by saying, in sub
stance: 81 consider you one of the
most dangerous men ever in this
court; such crimes as yours are hor-
rible beyond belief; shall give you
full and fair trial next term"
champIoned Seabs.
1t is also charged that Judge Eng
lish summoned into his presence the
county attorneys and sheriffs in his
district, denounced them in vile Ian
guage for the activity of the shop
strikers, and said he would run the
civil government of their comrades by
deputy marshals OF his court unless
they did better. He threatened mer-
chants who had refused to sell goods
to scabs, In similar fashion.
English held stock in three Of the
five banks designed by him to receive
funds Of bankrupt concerns under his
jurisdiction. He is accused OF sharing
with Charles b. Thomas, his referee
in bankruptcy cases, the takings OF
the bankruptcy process.