Evening star., 1936-04-12
RITTER DELIVERS
DENIAL OF CHARGE
Personally Tells Senate He
Never Granted Excess
Sive Fees.
Hy the Associated Press.


Federal Judge Halsted L. Ritter of
Florida personally delivered a COM
plete denial in the Senate yesterday
of House impeachment charges that
he granted excessive receivership
fees, 'corruptly" benefited from those
allowances, practiced law after be-
coming judge, and evaded income
taxes.
Taking the stand with SO Senator
jurymen present and before galleries
packed with Easter visitors, the 65-
year-old jurist also denied having any
knowledge of the exclusive Palm
Beach Whitehall Hotel receivership
until the action was brought into his
court.
The prosecution. in the second of
seven impeachment articles, charges
the Judge connived with attorneys to
bring the proceeding, and later dis
sipated the propertys assets.
Judge Remains Calm.
The defendants testimony coz
pleted six days of oral evidence, four
of which mad been used by the prose-
cutlon. Ritter made an hours extem-
poraneous statement before Senators
began firing questions at him in writ
ing. Pages hustled to and fro with the
queries.
To all outward appearances, at least.
neither the hustle nor the questions
disturbed the judges calm.
When cross-examination of Ritter
was completed, defense counsel an
nounced they would have some re-
buttal testimony tomorrow, before
closing arguments begin. After that,
probably before nightfall, the Sen
ate will close its doors, exclude both
the public and newspaper men and
vote on each of the seven impeach-
ment charges.
During his period on the stand, Rit-
ter admitted receiving $4,000 from
A. L. Rankin, former law partner
the prosecution charges only $500
after he went on the bench in Feb
ruary, 1929, and that half of this was
paid in cash the very day-Decem-
Der "a, l930-he allowed Rankin
s25,000 advance on $4,000 fee in
the Whitehall receivership.
Never Thought of Incident.
He insisted, however, that the SIS 900
was in payment of IAN honest debt. +"
which Rankin had agreed to pay for
his interest in their law firm when it
was dissolved.
Asked by Senator McGil. Demo-
crat, of Kansas if he anticipated"
the first $500 Rankin gave him
would come out of the receivership
fee, Ritter replied promptly:
Il never thought about it. I never
anticipated it."
When Senator Clark, Democrat, of
Missouri pressed him on the point, he
answered:
i can honestly say that 1t never
occurred to me at the time >"
Ritter said when he left the law
firm there were some so cases pend
ing and that he had brought the firm
95 per cent of its business.
He said he believed the business,
counting uncollected fees and equip
ment, at the time was worth around
S35.OOO, adding that be did not want
TO turn all this over to Rankin as a
gift and thus asked his partner
to fix the amount of his share.
Rankin fixed $4,000 Ritter agreed.
Never Asked for Money.
I never asked him for the money"
the defendant asserted.
After drinking some water, the
White-haired jurist resumed:
When he (Rankin) came into nv
chambers with the cash, I asked him
why he didn't give me check and
he made the same explanation he has
made here"
Rankin had testified he paid $4,000
OF the $4,000 in cash because at the
time the banking situation was bad in
Miami and, for the further reason.
that he did not care to subject Ritter
and himself to any criticism by reason
OF their having been partners.
1t was a perfectly honest transac-
tlon, gentlemen" Ritter said, "in pay-
ment of an honest debt arranged at
the time left the firm. The pay
ments made were payments on that
debt honestly created in consideration
OF the business left him"
No Income Over Salary.
Denying he evaded income taxes on
$4,000 in 1880, the Judge said he
had no income in 1929 over his salary
He added the $1,000 on which he was
charged with paying no taxes in 1891
had been offset by S4,875 of losses in
1880 from the sale of some property
IN Colorado, where he had practiced
law for 80 years in Denver before 90
ing to Florida in 1925 for his wife's
health.
He had his tax returns with him. he
said, If any one wanted to examine
them.
AS for the charge he practiced law
while on the bench, Ritter referred.
first, to the allegation that he repre-
sented the Milford Realty Corn in
the Trust Co. of Georgia vs.. Brazil
ian Court Building, Palm Beach liti-
CATION.
Il wasn't practicing law: I was
Just collecting" he said, adding the
$1,000 fee he got was for work ner-
formed prior to his elevation to the
bench.