Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-29

Term of the Nav Castle County Court
Dr. fahey tiondsinan for Mr.. Wall.
Charged with circulating libel,
Patrick Wall, at a bearing before
.Justice of the Peace Daley, Tuesday
afternoon was held in $500 bail for the
upper court. DR.. John G. Fahey is his
bondsman. Wall was charged with
circulating copies of the Delaware
Economist containing an article that
was libelous, the warrant having been
sworn out by DR.. Il. N. Slaughter,
the Single Tax candidate for Governor.
On Saturday James A.. Power, editor
of the Delaware Economist, was held
under $1,000 bail for publishing the
alleged libelous article, and the Wall
case grew out OF the alleged circulating
of the paper ON Monday.
At the hearing Tuesday DR.. Slaugh-
fer testified that the article was cir
culated Monday. Matthew White of
No. 905 Tatnall street testified that he
got papers from Wall on Monday morn
ing. Wall had aaid that anybody who
could read English would not be
offended at the article in question.
The witness and the defendant had a
pass of words as TO whether Mr.. White
had acted like gentleman In the mat
ter. Hugh Ward testified that be heard
Editor Power after he was released tell
Wall not to circulate any more of the
papers. Power stated to Justice Daley
that he bad 1000 papers down at the
office. He questioned whether, III the
story was true, it was not good thing
to print. He thought II should be ex.
posed IL Or. Slaughter was going to
sell out. and be was willing to go to
Jail on that. After Mr.. Power had re-
lieved himself, Justice Daily held Wall
in $500 bail for court. Wall remarked
that this would be the last of Single
Tax in Delaware.
The scene then shifted to Justice of
the Peace Kelley's Office. where the
editor of the Economist, Mr.. Power,
was arraigned on a warrant charging
him with the publication Of libelous
article. The complainant was Harold
Sudell Of New Castle. Single Tax
leader, who was mentioned IN the same
article to which DIR. Slaughter OBJ
iected. Power pleaded not guilty.
Sudell said that he considered the
article defamatory and libelous. In
reply to Justice Kelley he said that
he did not know that Power had any
malice against him. The magistrate
said he thought it essential to prove
that fact.
Power was not pleased with the
prospect Of other arrests at the insti-
cation Of three other men mentioned in
the article. lie spoke of the article On
the point of truth and declared that
some of these men are working for Mr..
Addicks. He declared that some of
them are not citizens Of the United
States, which invalidates the ticket
and some are not citizuns of the State.
Squire Kelley told him that the ques-
tion OF truth was not properly before
him; an article might be libelous
although true. Power said that he
had personal regard for Mr.. Sudell.
He believed he was honestly wrong.
The Justice held that the article was
nearly all libelous. Editor Power re-
ferred to the head lines of the article
which say that DR.. Slaughter was
virtually bought at auction. He de.
clared that he did not say public or
private auction. Mr. Sudell asked him
in regard to the statement that "Mr.
Addicks must have gone deep into his
pockets whereupon Power asked
"Didn't he pay for that special train
for Dover?" Sunell declared that he
(Sudell) paid for it out of the funds.
Justice Kelley held Power in $500
bail for court. The defendant said
that he could go to Jail as gracefully
as any one. He spoke of being able to
show people up and DR.. Slaughter said
that was just what they wanted.
Power said be was ready to go to Jail.
He held these arrests to be persecution
of the worst kind and declared that il
would not rebound to the benefit OF
Single Tax AS to his motive for pub
fishing the article he said that he was
editor of the official labor paper of the
city, and IL he saw fraud he was
going to expose it. He declared tina,
be was responsible, although he did
not write the head, which was the
only part Of the article he held to be
libelous. Justice Kelley allowed him
time to get bondsman.