Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-16
DONALDSON FIGHTS
D|SBARMENT MOVE
Ex-Bank Head Loses Point
on Opposition to Amended
Complaint.

Hearing of disbarment proceedings
against r. Golden Donaldson, former
president of the Commercial National
Bank, opened before a general session
of the District Supreme Court today.
The chief development was the filing Of
an amended bill of complaint by the
grievance committee of the District Bar
Association, in which it was stated that
the committee could not prove one Of
their important allegations.
The grievance committee is asking
for the disbarment of Donaldson on the
allegation that he accepted 500 900 in
1925 and 1925 from the Boyle Robert
son Construction Co. for obtaining for
them, through the F. H. Smith Co.,
contracts for the erection of buildings
financed by the Smith Co. while he was
an attorney for that concern.
The grievance committee contends
that Donaldson was guilty of conduct
which disqualifes him for membership
in the Bar Association by accepting a
fee from one client for using his influ-
ence with another client.
Change Is Permitted.
When court opened this morning, At
torney j. Wilmer Latimer, representing
the grievance committee, asked permis-
sion of the court to file an amended bill
of complaint emitting the charge in the
original bill that Donaldson had con-
ferred with officials of the Smith Co. re-
garding the awarding to the construc-
ton company Of q contract to build the
Cathedral Mansions Apartment in Pitts
burgh, Pa. Mr.. Latimer told the court
that since the filing of the original bill
he has received information which con-
Vinces him that the facts do not support
this charge. He said the allegation was
incorporated in the original bill on in
formation supplied by Mr.. Donaldson
William E. Leahy, counsel for the
respondent, objected to the filing of the
amended bill, contending that such a
step would be prejudicial to the inter-
est of his client. After the court had
ruled, however, that the amended bill
was admissible, Leahy commended that
II Donaldson did not see or confer with
Smith Co. officials regarding the con-
tract he owed them no duty to disclose
the fact that he was receiving compen-
Sation from the construction company.
On the strength of this contention
Mr.. Leahy argued that the charges
against his client could not be sup
ported. The court, however, declined to
SOhSul III llllo OplLllOn ana decided 10
proceed with the hearing after Mr..
Leahy had refused an offer of con-
tinuance in which to prepare defense
against the amended charges.
Outlines His Charges.
Mr.. Lattimer told the court that he
expected to prove that Donaldson, in
1925 and 1926, accepted from the con-
Struction company fees totaling $780,
600 for securing for them contracts to
build the Cathedral Mansions Apart
ment, the Fifth Avenue Apartments of
Pittsburgh and the Boulevard Apart
ments OF Washington. Mr.. Donald
sons fees, he said, represented ap-
proximately 3 per cent of the contract
prices for the three buildings.
He said he would show that the CON-
structlon company was given to under
stand, though not expressly told. bv
Donaldson that If his services were not
accepted he would use his influence
with the Smith Co. to secure the con-
tracts for competitors of the BOYLE
Robertson Co"
In outlining the position he expects
to take in defense of his client. Mr.
Leahy said he would show that Dom
aldson had never approached the con-
struction company officials, but rather
that James G. Robertson, treasurer of
the concern, came to Donaldson and
asked him to use his influence with
the Smith company to secure the con-
tracts for his concern. Mr.. Leahv ex-
planned that the Smith company, which
financed the construction of, but did
not own. the apartments in question,
Continued on Page 2, Column S.