Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-27
Roast for Town Topics.

Sontlnulng, Mr.. Jerome said:
nI It may be that / ought not to be here
got for a crime which, in my private judg-
men l know he ought to have done and
more heat and more vim than he displayed.
The law not to restrict the liberty of the
article be true and published with justifia-
BILE ends, it is defense. On the ground
Of excuse the prosecution comedies that
this publication was honestly made in
belief that 1t was true, IL you find that
the article was true you have got TO acquit.
Now. let us see the character of this
paper referring to Town Topics. Mr..
Shepard has told you that Colonel Mann
has stated that 1t was the natural evolution
OF personal Journalism If that is true, 1t
ought to be applicable to more than one
daily paper in New York whose trend is
paper that does not print vile scandals ana
obscene matter. / don't see what interest
ee WSa TO seh 9
adultery of this or that person have for
you and me.
Does 1t serve any useful purpose? Is 1t
other than filth? 1t is put there for no
other purpose than that of paying dYi-
newsnaner is run from the countine-room
standpoint. Most of the advertisements are
but corruption fund to induce quiet about
this, that or the other. This is not
pleasant statement to make, but IL you
ask the average newspaper man why
ton his p repy will ~ be on why didn Son
see that advertisement of so-and-so?"
These papers haven't yet reached the
condition that this vile sheet has reached.
/ am not here to justify Town Topics.
classification of the editorial denouncing
Justice Deuel." Mr.. Jerome said. means
that Deuel. was part owner of the paper,
censor and reviser of proof, and that the
paper which he edited in part. EFFORTS
money and prints scandal. 1t is alleged
that he threatened to make public the
family skeletons Of society people unless
given money"
In closing Mr.. Jerome said:
The defendant in this case is an old-tiIHe
| friend of mine. Only the best OF motives
could have actuated him in writing these
articles, from information obtained in talks
with me. talked to him honestly and
told him what / thought of Town Topics
| But he did not violate my confidence. His
actions throughout this whole proceeding
| have indicated the finest professional
honor He did not even reveal to his
| counsel the talks that he had with me
the the courase to come into court this scan-
| dalous paper, would have been wiped on
| the earth long ago.
| ton you will turn on is justification. and
| whether Hapgood wrote the article with
| good intentions; The gist Of that will be, is
J there reasonable ground for srraigning a
Judge as blackmailer? r'
Justice Fitzgerald then charged the jury
President Rejects Book.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 26-In view of the
| testimony of Colonel Mann, editor of Town
Topics, in his testimony yesterday in the
/ libel suit against Norman Hapgood, that
the president had received free a copy Of
Fads and Fancies. the following letter was
made public at the White House today:
| The White House. Washington. Nov. 1.
1895. Sir: The president directs me to
| acknowledge the receipt OF your letter read
| ing as follows:
Colonel Manns compliments to the
/ nreSidpnt and the hOnOr NJ
| ceptanoe of the work Fads and Fancies,
for representation in which the president
/ was pleased TO give a photograph to Mrs.
| Hampton some three years ago and which
(, is but just completed. The volume is sent
| today by Adams Express,
October -, 1906"
And TO say that, as Mrs. Hamp-
ton has already publicly stated the
/ president did not give any photograph
to her for publication In the work In ques-
ton and that he knew nothing OF the book
/ or OF the fact that Mrs. Hampton wished
the photograph for use therein. Unde
] the circumstances the president csunCs &C