Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-05
A BEL COMPLAINS
THAT THE HERALD HAS DONE
HIM AN INJUSTICE.
And Threatens Libel Suit Unless This Paper
Retracts Statements Regarding Ills Connec.
ton With Frivolous Complaint Made in
the Aberdeen Courts. As Far as Truth
Will Permit, the Retraction is CheerfuIIv
Made.

w. II. Abel has served formal notice
upon this paper that he considers the
news items concerning the frivolous COM
plant made at his ins.igatlon against S.
| c. Coleman, to be false and defamatory
toward him and We're inspired by malice.
The HERALD is Il newspaper, in the
broadcast sense of the term, and, in at
tributing malice toward him, Mr.. Abel
assumes entirely too much Importance.
While the editor Of this paptr may not
have much use for Mr.. a bel , or ATTORNEYS
of his ik, its columns are never used as
vehicle to vent either the editors
pleasure or displeasure, and it is the
heighth of presumption on the part of Mr..
Abel to imagine himself of sufficient con-
sequence to cause the HERALD to vary,
in his case, from rule that has done
much toward making the HERALD the
most popular paper in Chehalis county.
The complaint of Mr.. Abel has, how
ever, received careful consideration, and,
wherever false statement can be found
in the articles named, whether defama-
tory or otherwise, retraction will be
made.
10 consider the complaint seriatim
First, Mr.. Abel objects to the title of the
article that referred to his gall, and
probability of the "big nit" Second,
that Owens ACTED as complainant for a
skinful OF booze. Third, he Indignantly
repudiates the term "shyster' as used in
the article. He further, strenuously
denies that he entertained any idea OF
anything outside OF his code of ethics as
an attorney.
Nobody should be convicted without a
hearing, and Mr.. Abel's complaint has
received the same consideration as
though he was unknown, or on the most
friendly terms. And, while receiving
his denials with due credit, and admit
ting their truth, we are unable to find
anything in the articles compla ned Of
barring possible injustice to Mr..
Owens-that is in any way deviation
from the natural deductions to be ar
rived at from the history of the case. If
Mr.. Abel's statement of complaint is
true, he has not only been unfortunate
but extremity unwise in his method of
handling the matter in question.
The facts before the HERALD when the
articles in question were written were !;
that Abel had gone to the several places
named in the articles late at night, in
company with 0. 0. Owens, who had
been on protracted spree in this city
and threatened them with criminal pro-
secuton if they dill not cease violating
the law, saying he was employed by
the church people of thiscity to close
up those places; that he did procure
Owens to make a criminal charge against
Coleman; that Coleman was arrested
and cited to answer the charge; that
at the preliminary hearing Abel was
conducting the case, and, only when
questioned as to whom he represented,
did he say he was there for the COM
planning witness, and not as county at
torney.
1t was further, not only before this
paper. but a matter of public knowledge
that when the case was called for trial
Mr.. Abel asked that it be dismissed, in q
written motion, in these words: "The
prosecuting witness, o. 0. Owens, now
moves the dismissal of this action with
out hearing on the complaint" And
the court, feeling that it had been made
a tool of, promptly adjudged the COM
plant to have been frivolous and assessed
the costs to the complaining witness.
These were the facts, and the record,
before the HERALD when the alleged de-
famatory articles were penned, and we
submit that the matter was capable of
but two constructions. That Abel had
either invoked the aid of the law ma
chinery of the county for sinister motives,
or had acted the fool. Our knowledge
OF the gentleman prohibited the enter
tainment of the latter idea, hence the
spirit in which the article was written.
1t is, perhaps, but fair to Mr.. Abel to
say that in his demand for retraction, he
says he was engaged as attorney to re-
quest these obnoxious resorts not to fur
ther violate the law, by the employment
of women But the statement made at
the time,-that he was employed by the
church people of this city,-having been
proved untrue, he must pardon the grain
of salt taken in connection with the lat
ter story, and bear with any wrong
deductions made by reason thereof.
AS stated at the outset, the HERALD is
engaged in giving the news, and, like all
reputable newspapers, is always to be
found on the side of law and morality,
and may ALWAYS be depended upon to
expose any infraction of the laws or
hor,,c p,oro1itv avap ;f ,,o,oee;totoo n