Judge Layne Accused of Accepting Bribe

Portsmouth Daily Times 16 Mar 1923, page 6

A bombshell was exploded in old Ironton, Ohio, and it trebled from stern to stern Thursday when two women made the unequivocal statement that Judge A. J. Layne, who is well known here had accepted a $125 payment in a divorce suit.

A vigorous denial was immediately entered into the charge of Judge Layne and the case will go to the supreme court of Ohio for an airing. Relative to the sensational charges the Ironton Register Thursday said:

After she had been bailed into court to answer a contempt charge against her, Mrs. Emma Haas of 713 N. Seventh Street, Thursday charged Judge A. J. Layne of the Common Pleas Court, with having accepted a payment of $125 from Mrs. Chester Ward, for refusing to grant her husband, Chester Ward, a divorce. Mrs. Ward was immediately summoned to the witness stand and reiterated the charge. Judge Layne entered a specific denial but will refer the case to the Cheif Judge of Ohio, and it is likely that another Judge will be sent to this county to hear the contempt charge against Mrs. Haas and to hold a thorough investigation of the charges brought against Judge Layne by the two women.

Came As a Surprise

The charges entered by Mrs. Haas and Mrs. Ward came as a surprise to the court and attaches, and created not a little sensation. In a hearing about two weeks ago in which Rose Moreland charged her husband, Herman Moreland, with failing to pay the alimony set down by the court, Mrs. Haas was a witness.

In this action, Herman Moreland admitted that he had not paid the money to his wife, Rose Moreland, who resides on Railroad Street near Fourth, according to the terms laid down by the court (but testified that he had effected a reconciliation with his life and had been visiting her. During those visits, he paid her money direct and not by check while his wife countered with the charge that he paid her nothing. It seems that they had another quarrel and had broken off relations.

Mrs. Green, who was an intimate friend of Mrs. Moreland was summoned as a witness and testified that Moreland’s wife had spent money as usual and had paid her rent as usual, during the month, when she averred she had no funds and was forced to borrow to get along.

Mrs. Green’s evidence contradicted that of Mrs. Moreland’s on almost every point. To prove her declaration that she was close-pinched for money, Mrs. Moreland brought Mrs. Emma Haas into court, and the latter testified that she had loaned Mrs. Moreland $15, with which to pay the month’s rental fee. In deciding the case, Judge Layne stated that he believed both women had lied and Mrs. Haas was cited as competent.

This statement drew the fire of Mrs. Haas and was responsible for the letter in which she accused Judge Layne of taking $125 in money for refusing to grant Chester Ward a divorce.

Judge Layne stated that he had refused to grant a divorce in the Ward case, but that the action was justified as was proven later, as they had made up their differences and gone back to live together.

Continued with her letter, Mrs. Haas demanded that Judge Layne retract the statement that she had lied in court or she would expose the alleged acceptance of the $125 bribe.

Mrs. Haas mentioned a man in the letter stating that he had paid the money, but on the stand denied that she had intended it that way. She explained that an uncle of Mrs.Ward, a former resident of Huntington, WV, now deceased had informed Mrs. Ward that he would give her the money if she had to have it to settle the case.

Writes Letter

Ironton, Ohio
Judge J. Layne

Dear Sir:
Thought I would write you a few lines the longer I think of what you said in the courthouse the other day that I didn’t lend Mrs. Moreland money after Mrs.Green told you in the morning that I had lent her the money, and then you saying in the presence of everybody in the courtroom that you did not believe I lend her money if I had not lent her money I would not swear a lie for anybody.

There’s one thing sure I won’t stand for and that is Mr. Moreland telling everybody that you made Mrs. Moreland and both out a liar and another thing I know you don’t do everybody justice for I can tell you of one you didn’t that was Chester Ward. Maybe you think no one knows that you got a hundred and twenty-five dollars not to grant him a divorce. It’s the one that got the money that wins the case and I sure will let the public know how crooked you are and you either will half to swear a lie to say you were paid not to give Mr. Ward a divorce. I can tell you the man that gave you the money and also the night you met Mrs. Ward on the corner of Fourth and Center Street. So if you don’t correct that I swore a lie you may haft to swear one yourself. Or say you took the money for not granting Mr. Ward a divorce.

Your Truly,
Mrs. Haas

Immediately upon receipt of the letter, Judge Layne summoned Joseph Haas husband of the writer and showed him the letter. Later, he set for Chester Ward and explained the case to him.

He also advised the attorneys as to whether he ought to ignore the case or take action, looking toward an investigation. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Judge announced that he did not deem it best to ignore the letter and would bring it out at the contempt proceedings against Mrs. Haas.

Defendant Summoned

The defendant was summoned to court this morning at 9:00. Mrs. Haas took the stand, admitted that she had written a letter under investigation, and declared that she was ready to stand behind her assertions made therein. Judge Layne took up the questioning, asking the defendant about the letter and her reasons for writing it.
Mrs. Haas declared that she had made a misstatement in the letter, if she had made it read was involved in the offer of money. She said that on the night in question, she and Mrs. Ward were together, but that they had separated at Fourth and Center and she had started to the Ten Cent Store, but returned in time to see Mrs. Ward give Judge Layne the money. She said that the jurist had pocketed the sum and walked into Goldcamp’s Hardware Store.

Mrs. Haas said that she was in the doorway nearby and was not seen by either of the parties until a few minutes afterward when she joined Mrs. Ward.
Mrs. Haas was excused and Judge Layne ordered Sheriff Dement to bring Mrs. Chester Ward into court immediately. Within a quarter of an hour, Mrs. Ward was on the stand and said that she had given the money, $125 to the judge.

She explained her actions in the same manner as did Mrs. Haas. Her testimony was brief and at the conclusion, Judge Layne asked to be sworn in. He testified that he had not received one cent from Mrs. Ward, and the judge was inclined to think that there was a man in the case, who had been covered up since the case began.
Judge Layne announced that he would not put Mrs. Haas under bond in the contempt case, but would report the entire affair to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and that some other judge would dispose of the contempt proceedings.

The letter written by Mrs. Haas was introduced as evidence and was turned over to the court stenographer for preservation with instructions to guard it carefully. It was also read into the record, but the letter will be used as an exhibit at the further hearing of the case.

The hearing came during the selection of a jury for the trial of Ralph Stewart, charged by the State of Ohio in an indictment brought by the recent Gran Jury, with entering a house to commit a felony, and the courtroom was fairly well filled.

Judge Layne’s Version

Judge Layne discussing the charges of the women against him, says he is of the opinion that some man had probably buncoed Mrs. Ward out of the $125 she mentions, telling her that he’d use it to buy off the Judge. Then, in the opinion of the jurist, the man the protect himself, had planned the procedure that developed Thursday at the hearing of the contempt case.

“I believe that the developments, in this case, are going to be very interesting for I am going to the bottom of it,” said Judge Layne. “While personally, it is rather embarrassing, I think that the women have been buncoed and are being made dupes for someone. The investigation should develop a new phase of the case that will prove intensely interesting.”

Prosecuting Attorney W. L. Elkins is to assist in the investigation of the case.