Evening star., 1933-04-10
L0UDERBACK TRIAL
IS IN RARE CLASS
Senate Will Open Eleventh
Impeachment Session in
History Tomorrow.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
When Federal Judge Harold Louder
back of California appears before the
United States Senate at 1890 pm. to-
morrow he will be the central figure in
one of the rarest of dramatic govern
mental procedures-an impeachment
trial.
In the entire history Of the United
States the Senate has sat as court OF
impeachment in only 10 previous cases.
Those Federal officials charged by the
House with high crimes and misdc-
meanors in office" included President,
a Senator, a Secretary Of War and seven
judges.
Most famous Of the impeachment cases
was that Of President Andrew johnson,
accused of usurpation of the law in vio-
lating the tenure of Office act. After
sensational trial before the Senate he
was acquitted the vote of SO to 19 for
conviction failing by one OF the requisite
tWo-thirdS
William Blount, Senator from Tennes-
see, accused of sedition. was the first de-
fendant in an impeachment case. The
charges were dismissed for want of juris-
diction The trial of Samuel Chase. as
sociate justice of the United States Su-
preme Court, accused of misconduct at
trials. lasted from November 80, 1904, to
March l, 1905. when he was acquitted.
Judge Ousted in 1904.
The first Federal official to be con-
victed of Impeachment charges was
Judge John Pickering of New Hampshire,
who was removed from Office in 1904 for
drunkenness. West H. Humphreys, dis
trict judge from Tennessee. was removed
from Office during the Civil War on
charges of supporting secession.
William W. Belknap, Secretary of War,
was acquitted of bribery charges after
he resigned from the cabinet in 1875.
In 1905 Charles Swayne. district Judge
from Florida. was acquitted of charge
of official misconduct
Robert W. Archibald, associate judge
of the Commerce Court, was removed
from Office in 1918 for collusion. The
last man to be impeached before
Louderback was George w. English,
district judge from Illinois. The i'm
parchment proceedings were dismissed
after he had resigned from office.
Impeachment is inaugurated in the
House, where any member may intro
duce a resolution recommending such
action. Such resolutions are referred
to the Judiciary Committee but they
may be tabled Immediately, as were
two resolutions to impeach President
Hoover which were introduced by Rep
McFadden of Pennsylvania.
Minority Report Backed.
The Judiciary Committee studies the
evidence and recommends the action to
be followed by the House. In the case
of Judge Louderback, charged with
"misdemeanors in Office" relating to his
handling of equity receiverships, the
House by vote of 1873 to 142 adopted
the minority report of the committee
calling for impeachment. The commit
tee had voted 10 to 5 against impeach-
ment.
The Louderback case will be prose-
cuted by six managers from the House,
headed by Representative Summers of
Texas, chairman of the Judiciary Com
mittee. The defendant is allowed coun-
sci, he may testify himself and wit
nesses are called and cross-examined
as in any court. Impeachment trials
are usually open to the public.
If two-thirds of the Senators present
vote for conviction the defendant may
be removed from Office and disqualified
'to hold and enjoy any Office of honor,
trust or profit under the United States"