Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-26
NEWSPAPERS AND COURT TRIALS.

S0Shf ahtHGS.
 The filing of afidavits in a murder case in Tombstone this week asking for q change of venue from this county because the newspapers of the county had, by publishing articles concerning the crime, created such a prejudice against the defendant that 1t would be impossible for him to SC cure fair and impartial trial. will at tract attention among the newspapers and cause them to wonder just how they would be prescribed in their ut teranees were it not for the provision in the Constitution guaranteeing the liberty of the press.
 The fact that the press of Cochise county has Adopted the policy of con demning crime and commenting the Iigtt is the best guarantee that jus, dce will eventually sit undisturbed and prevail ia the courts. It is not strange that criminals should vince ia6er such newspaper policy, but | is the cause for wonder that attor- .,sys would try to turn such a condi. sioa into an excuse for setting their ,ien;s free.
 newspapers are expected to give the public the facts concerning a crime when it is committed. and it Las tho undisputed right to comment en these facts and draw it's own con. dasion. It is not expected that the rress will, when red-handed mur. ger is committed, begin campaign of defense for the criminal. On the osher hand, it is the duty of the press Io work hand in hand with the officials whose duty it is to ferret out the crime and fix the responsibility. IT me past many criminals would have gone unwhipped of justice had not newspaper reporters first discovered and published facts which fastened upon them unmistakable guilt.
 Notwithstanding the attempt tc abridge the rights of the press in its demand for the punishment of crim inals in this county, it is to be hoped that no paper is in such weak hands as will submit to the evident attempt to intimidate and compel silence where there should be the plainest denunci ation. When a juror goes on a cass he is sworn to try the case according 10 the evidence and the instructions of the court, as presented to him 1T his capacity as juror. and there is nc danger to be apprehended from a1 honest jury because of what has ap ,peared in the newspapers concerning +he case on trial.
 In recent years there has been al most universal Announcement by tht press of the country of the bold rob bery being perpetrated by the trust; of the country on the people. Accord ing to the contentious of the affidavit gang in Cochise county trust brought to trial for it's crimes against the laws and the people should not be tried ir this country because of the prejudice built up against it by the press.
 If there is war on the trusts of the country now it is because the newspa pers have been industrious in making public the unlawful practices. The same may be said along the whole category of crime. It is the press which exposes crime and although of ficials are sometimes slow in following the lead of the press in the punishment of the guilty, persistence on the part Of the newspapers will in the end force an application of the laws punish, Tae1t-
 If 8 lawyer presents false affidavits to court for the purpose of decefy ing the court and shielding a crimi ral newspaper has right to poin' 70 that fact, and in doing so is just fled by ali who desire an exposure o' falsehood and the punishment of the guilty.