The record-union., 1898-12-21
A FILTHY CASE AND CHIVALRY.

In the Botkin case in San Francisco,
the witness Dunning, whose wife was
poisoned, has been held in contempt
OF court because he will not name on
the witness stand the women with
whom he has had Illicit relations. We
are not going to dispute the law Of the
case with the court. We shall assume
that the trial Judge is well informed
in and fortressed by the law, and that
he has expounded it as it is; but just
the same it is law which cannot COM
mand respect of the chivalrous man. 1t
is not a rule, whatever its origin, which
will inspire manly men with fear. or
make true men swerve from their duty
Dunning may prove the coward and
come out of Jail at the expense of the
women who have yielded to him, but If
he does he will deserve to be kicked
from pillar to post throughout all man
kinds civilized domains. A fellow who
was so shameless in his amours as he
confesses himself to have been, and who
became the Illicit consort of such a
vulgar woman as Mrs. Botkin confesses
herself, may be expected to fall down.
However, we may misjudge him. His
former respectabliity and good standing
may be sufficient reminder to him that
despite his shameless fall, he may still
command something of respect if he
proves chivalrous enough to refuse to
yield to the demand of the law, and in
consequence takes it's penalty like a
man.
By the way, the Botkin case is a mess
of filth and makes the San Francisco
papers these days anything but fit for
the household. Even those which do
their best to soften the story Of the
witness stand do not successfully ex-
clude the filth which is dished up for
the young maidens and susceptible
youth of the metropolis.
Do news demands, after all, justify
such publication? Is such publicity
necessary In order to insure the ends
posure of the lewdness Of vulgar peo-
pie, with whom the demimonde would
blush to associate, would not prevent
the courts trying murderers and send
ing them to the scaffold when convicted
The newspaper is not an arm in the
system Of justice provided by the law
1t is an aid, undoubtedly; it does rem
der valuable service to the law by rea-
son of the publicity it gives to news.
But it is not essential to these SELF
imposed duties that it should besmear
itself with the offal of bawdy houses
and the smut of such creatures as de-
veIop in,cases like the Botl1in nastiness.
Really, if the San Franciscan with a
family does not take up his morning
paper with the tongs these days, and
consign it to the furnace before his
girls and boys catch a glimpse Of it, he
is remiss of parental duty, and consents
TO the contamination and ruthless
plucking of the flowers Of his home
garden.
And while contemplating the Botkin
ease in all its responsiveness, another
offense looms to view in the form of a
woman newspaper reporter, who be-
comes. a witness for the prosecution.
This woman is clearly of the product
of sensational journalism and the drift
of woman into business vocations be-
longing of right to men. The reporter
in question, who prefers to be called
correspondent" is still written Of as
sTMiss" Livernash. According to her
Aown testimony this maiden went to Mrs.
Botkin, told her she would befriend her,
worked her way into the woman's con-
fidence, and dragged from her bit by
bit, day after day, the whole story of
infamous living which was testified to.
Not content with this, when the Bot
kin woman had an interview in Stock
ton with her husband in the privacy of
theirxapartments, this woman stood out
sidesin the attitude of an aves-drop-
per. and noted down what she over
heard through the open transom, and
doubtless through the keyhole. True,
she told her victim that she was a
newspaper correspondent" but it is
also clear that the victim was led to
believerthat the reporter was befriend-
ing her, and she was justified in assum-
ing that meant the friendship and
backing of the paper the witness rep
resented
This;reporter Travelled with Mrs. Bot
kin, and permitted her and her hus-
band TO pay her fare and hotel bills,
and now comes upon the stand and de-
tails ell that she wormed out OF the
suspected woman. OF course it will
be said that this was detective work
justifiable in the cause of justice, and
all that But conceding it, it remains
that it was nasty, vulgar and disgrace
full work for woman, and that neither
the law nor society demand its employ
ment'by newspaper.
General Miles bill for the reorgani-
zation of the army is drawn upon
lines experience suggets to the army