Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-05-02
EX-Judge Hilton Secures Indictments
Against the Publisher and Ed
itOrs of The World
For LibelOus Slander on the Late
Alexander +. Stewart and
Also on Himself.
In a Letter to the District Attorney
the Judge Bitterly Scores
The World,
Judge HiltOn's Letter.

NEW YORK, April 3O.-Ihe grand jury
handed in indictments against Joseph
Pulitzer, John A. Cockrell, Julius Cham
bers and James F. Graham, of the
World, for criminal libel of ex-Judge
Hilton. The following letter was re-
ceived by District Attorney Fellows
from ex-Judge Hilton on the 23d inst:
II beg to call your attention to series
of libelous articles upon the late Alexan-
der I. Stewart and upon myself, which
appeared in the New York World from
the 14th to the 10Th inst. The articles,
as will appear on the most casual in
spection, are grossly ibelous on their
face, though they consist chiefly in
groundless insinuations, assumptions
and conclusions, and are conspicuously
barren of allegations of fact. have
tried too long and had too much exper-
ienee Of life and been too much accus-
toned to have Misrepresentation and
abuse, to be disturbed by the utterances
ST such mendacious miscreants and can
not be compelled to buy my peace from
abuse by them, nor would think of dig
nifying them by bringing civil suit for
I do not 60 skunk hunting for pleasure.
It is a game the capture of
which scarcely repays the
chase. Besides, however much
such hbelous articles may crafty the
tastes of the envious and vicious, I
know that they do not generally infu-
ence the opinions of decent men, except
to inspire disgust for the writer and pub
Usher of them. The base motive of these
articles is quite apparent to any one who
knows anything of the so-called ''jour.
naljsm' practiced by this paper. Had
these articles been confined to ibelling
me / should have treated them with con-
temptuous silence, but when they malign
the memory of my dear friend and bene-
factor, whose name was synonym for
high character, perfect integrity and un-
questioned personal purity, as we'll as
matchless sagacity and business success,
when he is held up as the author of "a
dark and secret crime" as man who
invited guests to meet his mistresses
at his table," as "a pirate of the dry
goods ocean, and / know that such in
famous libels are not only false, but alb
solutely without the slightest foundation
in fact, owe it to his memory that
such shameless and wanton traducers,
beside whom robbers of his grave were
gentlemen of refinement and character,
should be brought to answer for their
infamous crime at the bar of public JUS
tice. It is with that purpose in view that
I write this letter and send these papers,
that you may exhibit these ibels to the
grand jury for such action as they may
deem proper. I am informed that the
World company is a corporation, and
that Jos. Pulitzer, who is said to be now
in Europe, is nominal editor as we'll as
president of the corporation. That Wm
l.. Davis is vice president, that John A.
Cockerell, Jas. F. Graham. Julius Cham
bers and Douglass A. Levine are editors
of said paper, and that one Turner is
nominal publisher. Ed Harris, who can
be fonud at 280 Broadway, purchased the
papers 1 send, over a counter of the
World company. I have the honor to be,
respectfully yours, Henry Hilton,
Delaney Nocoll, counsel for the
World, informed Messrs. Graham and
Chambers of the finding of the grand
jury, and both went to the district attor-
ney's Office and furnished the required
bail, $1,000 each. Pulitzer is in Europe
and Cockerell is out of town on a two
weeks vacation.