Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-07-27

per interference by Baltimore attor-
ney's in County cases.
In a formal letter to w. Mason
Shehan, of Easton, president of the
Maryland State Bar Association, Mr..
O'Conor called attention to the prac-
tice which has developed recently of
City attorneys taking action in County
cases without authority or solicitation
from the defendants. He specifically
cited the action of Bernard AIDES, an
attorney for the international Labor
Defense, affiliated with the Communist
party, who undertook several days
ago to inject himself into the case of
Page Jupiter, negro, charged with
the murder of Mrs. Evelyn Ref
schneider, of Waldorf, Charles county.
In connection with the hearing of
writ of Habeas Corpus, brought by
AIDES, charges were made by the law
yer in which he declared that the
officials of Charles County were sat
tempting to railroad Jupiter to his
DEATH" The Court refused to permit
AIDES to see the prisoner. and it was
following the hearing that Mr.. o.
Conor addressed the letter to Mr..
Shehan. The letter follows:
Hon. w. Mason Shehan,
President, Md. State Bar Assn,
Easton, Maryland.
Dear Mr.. Shehan:
81 consider it my duty as member
of the Maryland State Bar Associa-
ton, as we'll as an Officer of the Court
and an official of the State to invite
the attention of yourself or of any
Committee to which you might decide
to refer the matter, to a situation
which has come to my notice.
"There have been instances regard
ing defendants in Criminal cases in
dicted in the Counties, sometimes re-
moved to the Baltimore City Jail. and
in which writs of Habeas Corpus have
been applied for apparently without
authority or knowledge of the defen-
dants themselves. Particularly serious
does this situation seem because of
the possibility that such Intervention,
if unwarranted, might have had the
effect of engendering race prejudice,
which would be most unfortunate be-
cause, as you know, there has hereto
fore existed in our State such splendid
feeling among the several races.
eff improper interference with the
cases of the counties has been at
tempted when defendants are removed
to another jurisdiction, I respectfully
submit that definite steps should be
taken to stop it. might mention that
in connection with a case heard on
last Friday, and to which will refer
later, signed statement was given
by the defendant to the effect that he
did not authorize any Attorney to act
for him in the premises.
"The hearing referred to was con-
Quoted in the Baltimore City Court
upon a writ of Habeas Corpus, ap-
piled for by Bernard AIDES, a member
of the Bar, for one Page Jupiter, in
dicted for murder in the Circuit Court
of Charles County. Despite the fact
that in order to preserve the rights of
the accused man, His Honor, Chief
Judge Digges of that Circuit, had
previously given written authority to
the prisoner, it was represented to
the Court that permission had been
refused any counsel to consult with
the indicted man. In addition to this,
and despite the fact that the officials
of Charles County were proceeding
dutifully in the case and without in
fringing upon the rights of the de-
PENDANT, in a written memorandum
filed by Attorney AIDES allegations are
made which so seriously reflect upon
the integrity of the Courts, that !
consider it demands the attention of
the State Bar Association.
81 am enclosing copy of the men,
orandum addressed to me by Attor-
ney AIDES and formally filed in con-
nection with the issuance of the writ.
You will note in the concluding
paragraph that the Attorney states
the reason for the application of the
Writ in the Jupiter case as follows:
"The writ of Habeas Corpus there.
fore issued out to ascertain whether
or not the Courts of Baltimore City
will interfere with this attempt on tbs
part of the officials of Charles County
to railroad to his death member Of
an oppressed national group who i.
now within the jurisdiction of the
City of Baltimore"
81 need not stress the gravity Of