Evening star., 1927-11-19
O|LLETTERS| ISSUED
WITHOUT CONSENT,
S|DDONS DECLARES
Gordon's Action Is Made Part
of Record in Fraud
Case.
100000 OF BLACKMER
BONDS SEIZED BY U. S.
Property of Missing Oil Witness Is
Held Pending Court Con-
tempt Action.

Holding that correspondence be-
tween himself and United States At
torney Peyton Gordon regarding the
latter's appointment to a special COM
mittee to report on whether contempt
of court had been committed in al
legged Jury tampering during the Fall
Sinclair Teapot Dome trial had been
made public without his permission,
Justice Frederick L. Siddons today
ordered the letters made part of the
record of the investigation.
At the same time Justice Siddons
amended the original order appoint
ing the committee of three, to drop
Mai. Gordon. The other two members
were John E. Lasky and Col. James
S. Easby-Smith. Maj. Gordon had re-
quested that he be relieved from serv-
ing as a member of the committee,
holding that he already had formed
an opinion as to whether contempt
had been committed.
More Letters Revealed.
Additional correspondence which
passed between Justice Siddons and
Mai. Gordon yesterday after repre-.
sentative of The Star had approached
Justice Siddons and asked Tor
statement regarding Maj. Gordon
letter of Wednesday was also re-
yealed. In the first of these letters,
written yesterday morning. Justice
Siddons asked the United States at
torney to inform him at once whether
he had given or authorized the CIV
ing out of the first exchange to the
press. Mai. Gordons reply was brief
and merely indicated that he had
given out the correspondence, as the
court had been informed.
This development followed the
seizure this morning of Sl0O,ooo III
Liberty bonds, deposited by attorneys
for Harry NJ. Blackmer missing Gov
ernment witness in the case, two
hours after they had been deposited
in the National Savings 4 Trust Co.
The bonds had been deposited as the
first step to test the constitutionaiity
of the Walsh law, under which con-
tempt proceedings against Blackmer
have been instituted.
Justice Siddons was asked by news |
paper men if he contemplated appoint |
ment of a successor to Mai. Gordon |
on the committee, but the court re- |
piled that he would not discuss mat |
ters bearing on any future action that
might be taken.
Note to Gordon.
Justice Siddons' letter to Mai. Cor
don under date of yesterday with re-
lation to the correspondence which
appeared in yesterdays newspapers
follows:
"Dear Mr.. Gordon:
'As ! left the courtroom for the
luncheon recess today, ] was ap-
preached by Mr.. Thomas Harvey of
The Star, who asked me il had any
announcement to make regarding
your letter of the 10th instant, and
my reply, both of which he stated
would be printed in the papers. ]
asked him who gave such letters or
copies of the letters the newspapers.
and he stated that you had done SO.
II then informed him that ] had
no announcement or statement TO
make regarding the matter. Please
inform me at once whether or not
you did give out, or authorized to be
given out, the letters or copies there.
of, as stated by Mr.. Harvey"
Maj. Gordons reply under the same
date:
"My Dear Justice Siddons:
I'm response to the inquiry in your
note of this date just handed to me
by your secretary. beg leave to ad-
WISE yOu lAdI gave Ou( ~ IH6 press
both my letter and your acknowledg.
ment thereof"
The memorandum opinion of Justice
Siddons in the contempt matter
follows:
Memorandum"
I'm view of the publication in the
newspapers in whole or in part of the
letter of Mr.. Peyton Gordon dated
November is, 1927. to the writer of
fHn I,,~o
reply of November II, 1927, copies of
which Mr.. Gordon informs the court
ne gave to the newspapers, and in
view OF the fact that this was done
without the knowledge or consent of
the court, the court concludes that
the original letter from Mr.. Gordon to
the writer, together with a copy of
the writer's reply, and copy of a
letter to Mr.. Gordon, from the writer
inquiring as to whether or not he had
given the above mentioned letters to
the newspapers, and the original of
Mr.. Gordon's reply thereto should now
be filed in the above entitled proceed
ing. which is accordingly done"
The memorandum was dated today
and bore the signature Of Justice
Siddons.
SiddOns Issues Order.
In pursuance of the memorandum,
he signed the following order in the
contempt matter:
"In consideration of the correspond
ence referred to in a memorandum
filed by the court this day in the
above-entitled proceeding, and of the
publication, in whole or in part, of
copies of the earlier of the two let.
ters referred to in said memorandum
1t is by this court this 18th day of
November, AID. 1927:
"Ordered-That the order of the
court heretofore filed in the above en-
titled proceeding on the 18th day of
November, 1927, be. and the same is
hereby, amended in the single par.
ticular of omitting the name of Mr..
Continued on Page 10, Column ~