Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-02-02
BADNEWSPAPERS
SCORED BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
JEROME IN LIBEL SUIT.
JURY AcQuI1s DEFENDANT
Suit Of Justice Deuel. Of Town Topics
Against Editor Hapsood Of Golfers
Weekly Proves to Be Boomerang.

New York.-An unusually sensa.
tional trial came to an end Friday.
when n jury In the criminal branch of
the Supreme Court reported thar Nor.
man Hapgood. editor of Golfers
Weekly. was not guilty OF criminal
libel. The case had been on trial sew
eral weeks. The verdict was rendered
ten minutes after the case had been
given TO the jury.
The charge against Mr.. Hapgood
was brought at the instigation OF Jus
lice Joseph NJ. Deuel. of the Court of
Special Sessions. and WIS based upon
an editorial In which the editor criti-
cised Justice Deuel. for his connection
with Town Topics.
The plea OF District Attorney Jcr-
ONE. the prosecutor. was amusing in
Its bias for the defendant.
The real Interest In the case was due
to the fact that the names of scores
OF persona OF the highest social and
financial standing became involved
through the efforts OF the defense TO
prove that the statements contained In
the alleged libel Were correct and
therefore justified. To attain this end
some of the inner workings OF Town
Topics. II weekly publication which cir
culatcd extensively In social circles.
were laid bare.
IL was In this connection and also
through testimony concerning a lin
tied edition book which bore the title
''Fads and Fancics" that the names
OF prominent persons became involved.
''Fads and Fancies" was sold 10 sub
scribcrs at 81 800 or more per copy.
Il will not attempt TO disguise from
you the utter ioathine and contempt !
| feel for some Of tho witnesses whom
myself hayc introduced declared Dis
trict Attorney Jerome To the Jury In
his argument for the prosecution.
"for more than two weeks We have
been wandcriIrs through Vanity Fair"
said Mr.. Jerome. witnessing exhibit
tions OF human weakness and folly and
I In som. Instances Of human dcErada'
| ton"
|. Continuing. Mr.. Jerome said:
Now. let us see til. character of
this paper CrcfcrrinI to Town TopicSi.
Mr.. Shepard Inns told you that Colonel
Mann lns stated that Il was the nat
urai evolution Of personal journalism.
II that Is true. II ought 10 be applicable
to more than one daily paper In New
York whose trend is that way. There
ls scarcely morning paper that does
not print Vile scandals and obscene
matter. don't see what interest nrti'
clcS relating to the adultery OF this oT
| that person have for Won and me.
Does II serve as useful purpose?
| Is II other than Nth? II II put there
for no other purpose than that OF pay.
| Ing dividends to the stockholders. The
avcrar. newspaper IL run from the
counting room standpoint. Many OF
the advertisements are but coTrup.
tion fund to induce quiet about this.
that or the other. This IL not u pleas.
ant statement TO make. but " you ASK
the average newspaper man why Ger
tain paper let up on n certain p-uposi'
iion. his reply will be Why. didn't you
see that nd OF 40 and so7'
These papers haven't yet reached
the condition that this vile sheet has
reached. am not here to Justify Town
Topics.
Qualification OF the editorial de.
nounciag Justice Deuel." Mr.. Jerome
said. means that Deuel. was part
owner Of the paper. censor and rcviser
Of proof. and that the paper which he
edited In part cxtorts money and prints
scandal. II IL alleged that lie threat.
cncd TO make public the family skclc-
tons OF society people unless given
money!
In closing. Mr.. jerome said:
'The defendant In this case Is an
old.timc friend OF mine. Only the best
Of motives could have artuatcd him in
writing these articles from informa.
tion obtained by talk from me.
''1n a measure | was the cSpurgatcd
author. I talked to him honestly and
told him what I thought Of Town Top.
les. But he did not violate my conf.
dence. His actions throughout this
whole proceeding have indicated firm.
ness of professional honor. He did not
even reveal to his counsel the talks
that he had with me until suggested
It to him. II people had the courage TO
come into court. this scandalous paper
would have been wiped off the earth
long ago.
II think in your deliberations the
question you will turn on fs that of jus.
iification. and whether Hapgood wrote
the article with good intentions. The
gist OF II will be. was there reasonable
ground for arraigning judge as
blackmailer?"
Justice Fitzgerald then charged the
jury.
The Jury was out about ten minutes.
returning with n verdict of not guilty.
Colonel Mann. editor OF the Town
Topics. who was present when the YER
dict was announced. said that he had
nothing to say regarding the verdict,
but that he had brought n civil suit
against Golfers.
As Mr.. Mr.. Hapgood left the room
District Attorney jerome, who con-
Quoted the case agains: him, slapped
him on the shoulder. saying:
my dear old man. | am very much
pleased that It turned out as 1t did"
They left the court room together.