Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-02
Declare They Had No Such
Intention When Talking
in Corridor.
LATTER WAS ON JURY
WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED
Justice Bailey Continues Hearing
Until Next Wednesday.
Siddons Issued Rule.

Frank Owings, former vice president
OF the Bank of Commerce and Savings,
and Fred w. Jones, 1911 Beecher street,
today flled separate answers to the
rule in contempt of court issued last
week against them by Justice Frederick
L. Siddons Of the District Supreme
Court for an alleged conversation be-
tween Owings and Jones when the
latter was serving as a Juror in Cir
cult Division l June %.
Jones is said to have refused to ioin
with the IL other members of a Jury
sitting in case against the bank
brought by Charles D. Kenney. trading
as the Washington Electric Co. The
citation followed a complaint of coun-
sci Tor Kenney. Both men disclaim any
intended disrespect of the court.
-. Justice Jennings Bailey continued
tne nearing OF the matter until next
wednesday Assistant United States
Attorney Neil Burkinshaw appeared as
the prosecutor, while Owings was repre-
sented by Attorney William B. Wolf
and Jones by Attorneys Hawken g.
Hayell.
Accosted in Hail.
Owings tells the court that he was
cashier and vice president of the bank
at the time of the cashing of certain
checks complained of by Kenney and
is still a director of the financial in
sctiLution He was in attendance at
the trial of the case which occupied
three days, and was returning from
luncheon when accosted just outside
the court room door by a person UNI
known 10 MIN, who propounded an in
quiry whether banks are protected by
insurance against bad checks.
without hesitating in the walk to
the court room, he says, he answered
tnat In some cases they are, but not
In others. He had no idea the man
accoStlng him was a member of the
jury, he states, as 1t was well after
the hour set for reconvening of the
court and he suspected all the Jurors
were In the box listening to arguments
of counsel.
(, The banker assures the court he has
always had the greatest respect for the
honor and dignity of the court and
Tor its rules and authority. He had no
intention to speak to a member of the
Jury and did not know he was doing so.
His remark, he states, was not intended
10 influence the jury and did not in
his estimation.
Jones in his separate answer saws he
is mechanic and unfamiliar with
banks or banking and not acquainted
with any official of the Bank of Conn
merce and Savings and never spoke to
Mr.. OwingS before nor had he ever seen
him before the trial Jones declares
that in casting his vote for the defend
ant in the jury room he acted CON
sclentiously and according to my best
judgment"
Did Not Mean Disrespect.
He admits propounding the INQUIRY
to Mr.. OwingS at the recess period.
which he asserts was prompted merely
by curiosity and without intention to
violate any instruction of the court.
He intended no wrong, he AYERS, and
was not conscious of wrongdoing. II
his action was improper, he assures the
court most humbly that it was due to
his ignorance of court procedure. His
conversation with Owings was limited
TO his inquiry and the answer given by
OWlngs, he tells the court
The juror says his vote was con-
trolled solely by the evidence as he un-
derstood it and by nothing else. He
voted conscientiously, he states. Some
OF the jurors urged him to change his
vote, stating that lit was getting late
and they wanted to get home" which
he declined because he did not believe
the plaintiff entitled to a verdict.
In declaring that he had no intention
to do anything in contempt of the
court, Jones points out that his jury
service caused him a loss in wages Of
81 day, but he did not ask 10 be ex-
cused. He has always had the greatest
respect for the court, he asserts.