The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-03-19
An Editor sentenced to One Year

ASTORIA, Or. March 1.-THE libel case
of the state of Oregon VS.. o. W. Dunbar
| of the newspaper 1'oaon Tdlk, which oc-
cupied the circuit court for several days,
resulted in the conviction of Dunbar.
The case is a notable one. being the first
conviction of newspaper man for libel
in this state. Dunbar published articles
| defam1ng the character of Samuel El-
more, the well-known salmon Gamer and
prominent citizen. A motion for new
| trial was argued and overruled. The
prisoner, before sentence, said TO the
judge:
All have got 70 say in the matter is
| that great many of my witnesses failed
me; some of them came here and swore
| to the opposite of what they agreed to,
| and there are some men that begged of
| from coming here, and l should have
liked to have had new trial to force
| them to come here. That was my idea
of new trial. The men came and swore
falsely. If l was guilty of that charge,
there were Others also guilty. l have
| nothing more to say;
The judge, in pronounclng sentence, in
, part said:
The circumstances and evidence in the
case are of such character as TO leave.
no question in my mind as 10 the motives
of this party. the article charges mum
ber of things very defama,ory to mans
character. 1t virtually charges Mr.. Ell
more with being a thief and swluder;
that be was fire bug; that if he got a
| contract to run his boat between Astoria
and coast ports, the people would not be
safe in trusting the cargo to him, lest be
sink or burn his boat. The evidence
seemed to me, instead of showing i'm
proper conduct on the part of Elmore,
that it showed his conduct had been that
of man who lad desire to help the
writer Of that articie. He had done for
him what few men would do; advanced
money from time to time, and ,ried to
hep him along without getting any Sc
curity. You bave taken the word and
statements of people III regard to mat
ters, ana we're willing to traduce a mans
character simply on the statements OF In
dividuals. If those Individuals went
back" on those propositions and refused
TO testify to Il, it is your misfortune; it
will teach you that before YOU attempt to
blacken mans character you must
know you are telling the truth. A
newspaper is a powerful engine, either
tor good or evil, as it may be used, and
by an improper and shrewd use of
newspaper the character of any man may
pe backened where he Is not knoWn. 1t
Is very dangerous when used in an i'm
proper manner. There are Others moral
ly as guilty as yOn-they are where the
law cannot reach them. You have placed
yourself where the law has reached out
and caught you Its victim. You do not
come here as an ignorant man. You
have been for years te,lowing the news
paper business. You are man OF fam
lily, and as there has been sympathy ex-
pressed tor your family in this matter
you ought to have thought OF your fami-
ly before. 1t is the judgment of this
court that you be imprisoned in the iail
of this county for one year, and tina. you
pay the costs of the action.
The sentence has been the engrossirg
topic on the streets this afternoon
1t is said there will be no appeal, but
petition will be made for Communication
of the sentence by the governor. The
general opinion is that the sentence is
severe but we'll deserved.