Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-01 | Page 5 | Speer Testifies in His Own Behalf

m TESTIFIES II HBJM BEHALF Federal Judge Denies All the Charges Made by the Georgia Attorneys. SAVAXNAU, Ga. Jan. 31. Federal Judgo Emory Speor was tho first witness wit-ness today before tho congressional committee investigating charges of official offi-cial misconduct againsL him. Before tho jurist was sworn Chairman "Webb announced that Judgo Speer's testimony testi-mony would complote the investigation. Judgo Spcer denied having told District Dis-trict Attorney Alosandor Akerman tiiat ho would raise his foo in a bankruptcy caso if ho would withdraw his protest against fees to Talley and ITeyward. .ludgo Speor also denied having threatened threat-ened to seutenco to jail any lawyer who sought to disqualify him in a case in which his son-in-law, A. H. Heyward. was counsel. Akerman had testified that Judgo Speer had made such a threat in November, 1910. "I always disqualified myself in casos whoro Talloy and Heyward had connections," declared Judgo Spcer. "I had nothing whatever to do with the partnership between Talley and Heyward. My son-in-law never consulted consult-ed mo. I did, however, delay the partnership part-nership for a time on account of tho Groono-Gayuor caso. I nover asked for a favor for my son-in-law and it has nover occurred to mo that a lawyer who happened to bo the son-in-law of a judgo should be dobarrod from practicing practic-ing his profession." Tho witness also denied having had anything to do with the partnership of tho law firm of Isaacs and Tlevward. Judge Sneer was asked to oxplain the breach between himself and District Attornej' Akerman. "Our differences," said the witness, "grow out of our diverging views on questions involving the policy of tho law aud principles of morality on which the welfaro oi tho people depended. In tho first place, I waB anxious to enforce en-force tho rovenue law so as to aid the pooplo of tho south in onforcing their prohibition laws. Mr. Akerman allied himself with tho liquor interests and insisted in-sisted that I nolle proase certain liquor casos," Judgo Speor doclared that John Mi Barnes, former marshal in his court, was a man of malevolent mind. "Tho day Barnes came to mo and spoke of what he had obtained in ro-coivership ro-coivership foos, I quoted to him from tho life of Lord Chatham, Baying 'and held up his hand and none of it stuck,' referring to money handled by Lord Pitt, a paymaster in tho British army. "Barnes distorted this, saying in bis testimony before this commiltoc that I remarked, 'Well, what iB there in it for me?' "