Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-04-20
From Steele.

EDITOR ALERT-Dcar Sir: In your
Saturdays issue of the Alert Under the
title of ''The Dawson Globe Affair."" you,
unlntendlonallv / presume, conveyed an
erroneous impression about the arrest and
commitment of Harl j. Cook, of the
Dawson Globe, on a charge. of criminal
libel preferred by Hon. Wilbur f. Steele,
Of this place The idea conveyed through
your columns is that Mr.. Cook was ar
rested, hurried to Steele, every advantage
taken that was possible, and as hurriedly
hurried of to your jail, without any ia
cility being afforded for procuring bail,
etc. Such was not the case. In the COL
umns of the Globe, of date March %,
appeared an article under the saptlon of
"The Steele Herald" and over the sig
nature Of "Old Citizen," only fit to grace
the columns of the Police Gazette, being
TRADE of personal abuse of MI. Steele,
and being but one of series Of commu-
nications directed at the honor and char
acter of this gentleman, and which led
Immediately to and was the cause of said
arrest. Mr.. Cook was arrested at Daw-
son, his place of business, on Tuesday,
by Sheriff j. w. Carroll, held there until
Wednesday, brought to Steele, accompa-
MED by citizen of Dawson, started IN
on preliminary examination, refusing
the offer of the court for an adjournment
to procure counsel, and attempting to
conduct his case against an attorney, j.
W. Walker, Esq. and afterward waived
the examination, and daring the court to
do It's worst. He was admitted to $500
bail, aud held here for two days IN order
to give hlsn a chance to procure said bail,
through the kindness of Sheriff Carroll.
The telegraph was freely used by Mr.
Cook III trying to get his friends ~ at
Dawson TO become his surety, and, get
ting no favorable responses, Mr.. Carroll
was compelled, in justice to himself, in
freeing his hands of the prisoner This
is plain statement, and the facts of the
case, and show most wonderful leniency
Of the law officers, aud every conceivable
courtesy that could be extended. This
is the only arrest for defamation of char
acter that has been made and has moth
ing whatever to do with the county seat
business. Two other arrests have been
made, on a charge of perjury, of Mcssrs.
Higgins and Del PLAIN, of Dawson, in
the matter of issuing bonds for building
a court house-and, which also, has moth
ing to do with the county seat contest.
Unfortunately for Mr. Cook, lie seemed
to be laboring under the impression that
he cod!d do and act just as he pleased,
without any regard to law, and that the
publication IN his paper of an article
over nom de plume, freed him from any
responsibility therefor ! In the Steele
Herald of Saturday last under the cap
ton Of "base lngratitude," appeared the
facts of the affair, to which respectfully
call your attention, a copy of the paper l
personally mail you to-day.
This is not a matter that you could
feel you are in any way interested IN. My
only object in writing this Is to have the
truth told. We, here, arc interested, and
as your paper has good many friends
here, we can only ask that you correct
any false impression you have been led
into conveying through your journal.
Very respectfully,
j. E. BRrTTON.