William H. Gemmill, associate judge of the municipal court, appeared before the committee of judges, headed by Chief Justice Harry Olson of the municipal court, which was to investigate the charges of graft raised by Gemmill against Anton J. Cermák, chief bailiff of the court. Gemmill came chiefly to cross-examine Mr. Cermák in regard to a conversation, between the judge and an unnamed person, which, the chief bailiff intimated at yesterday's session, he had accidentally overheard.

From the moment the judge entered, he was the cynosure of mirthful chuckles; he supplied all the entertainment for the crowd until he left the committee room with a defiant "goodby". It was the exchange of words between Judge Olson and Mr. Cermák on one side and Judge Gemmill on the other which kept the audience in perpetual hilarious suspense. Judge Olson openly complained that most of the judges' meetings had been turbulent affairs, mainly because of Judge Gemmill's obstreperousness.

When Mr. Cermák addressed Judge Gemmill as "Your Honor," he was advised by the latter that this polite approach was not desired. Cermák retorted that, after some consideration, he had come to the conclusion that in Judge Gemmill's case "Your Honor" was out-of-place, because there was very little honor to be found there....

Chief Justice Olson assured the judges that there was no substance to the charges against Chief Bailiff Cermák, and that the accusations of "graft in the bailiff's office" were the figments of Judge Gemmill's imagination and obstinacy.

When called on to prove his charges, Judge Gemmill assured the committee that he would do so; but he did not go beyond his promise. Nevertheless he devoted a volley of his queries to the picnic held by the Bailiffs' Benevolent Society. He produced the program and scanned page after page for advertisements placed there by saloonkeepers. Irrepressible laugher was evoked by the manner in which Judge Gemmill interrogated Mr. Cermák on the degree of his acquaintance 3with the various tavernkeepers, and by the good grace with which the latter responded to the questioning.

This droll but lengthy procedure was finally halted by Chief Justice Olson, who reminded the inquisitor that no case of violation of the dry laws is involved here. This brought about a new squabble in which the two judges threatened one another with jail sentences. Judge Gemmill left, finally.

We are sure that if he has some more of the "evidence" in stock of the kind he has produced so far, the investigation will drag on indefinitely, but the accusations against Bailiff Cermak will not be sustained.