Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-09
Hoover Accepts Resignation
and Praises Jurist for
Public Service.
BAR MEMBERS BACKING
STAFFORD FOR POSITION
White House Call Day After He
Becomes Eligible to Retire
Ends Bench Career.

Chief Justice Walter I. Mccoy of the
District Supreme Court today rendered
his resignation to President Hoover to
become effective Immediately. Justice
Mccoy reached the age of 10 yesterday
and became eligible for retirement.
Although Justice McCoy's resignation
has been forecast for six months, it was
not definitely known that he had made
up his mind to retire until he called
at the White House today.
President Hoover accepted the resig-
nation. He commended Justice Mccoy
for the public service he had rendered
and expressed regret at his leaving the
bench.
The President is now called upon to
appoint a new chief justice of the local
court, but there was no intimation at
the White House today that he has any
one in mind at this early date. 1t has
not been learned whether or not the
President will elevate one of the asso-
ciate justices or make the appointment
from some one of the District bar. 1t
is natural to suppose that he Will be
guided in naming the successor by the
recommendations of the Attorney Cen
eral in the matter. A committee of the
District Bar Association urged Attor-
ney General Mitchell to appoint Asso-
ciate Justice Stafford, the ranking
member of the court, to succeed JUS
tice Mccoy.
Chief Justice Mccoy was accom-
panied by Mrs. Mccoy during his call
at the White House today.
Was IndefatigabIe Worker.
Chief Justice Mccoy was regarded by
the bar generally as an able, conscien-
tious and indefatigable worker who en-
tertained the highest ideals of the legal
profession. He came to the court from
the halls of Congress in 1914 as an
associate justice in which position he
served for four years. He was elevated
to the Office of chief justice May 81,
1918, on the resignation of Chief Justice
D. Harry Covington and has served IL
years in the latter Office, being the
fifth person to hold that exalted Office.
The chief justice was much inter-
ested in the making of new citizens
and one of his last official functions
was to preside at the naturalization
sheerings last. Tuesday He gave much
of his time outside the court to the
sessions of the Americanization School,
where applicants for citizenship are
prepared to pass successfully the ex-
aminations concerning America and
American ideals.
On the criminal bench Chief Justice
Mccoy had no patience with the old
offender, the gunman and the midnight
marauder and he gave the limit Of the
law to that sort of criminal brought
before him, some of his sentences run
ming as high as 40 years in the peni-
tentiary. To the first offender, however,
and to the persons giving way to
sudden impulse he was kind and con-
siderate, extending probation whenever
possible and giving short jail sentence
where probation did not apply.
Favored New Practices.
The chief justice was largely re-
Sponsible for the action of the court in
adopting much of the New York prac-
tice into the local rules and was
criticized by some members of the bar,
who preferred the old methods that
had been in vogue for many years.
Mccoy was convinced that the other
methods of practice was more calculat-
ed to speed up justice.
The death of his son, George Baldwin
Mccoy, in France, saddened the chief
justice and was frequently brought to
his attention by some lawyers who
pleaded service in the Army or Navy
for mitigation of sentences of criminals
Continued on Page 2, Column So