Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-02
BLAMES CARTOON
FOR CONTEMPT
EDITOR CLOVER is FINED ONE
HUNDRED DOLLARS
Judge BIedsoe Says Jingle Was Not
Harmful, but Declares DRAWING
Was Calculated to In-
fluence Verdict

Samuel 7. Glover, editor of the Even
ing News, was yesterday found guilty
OF contempt of court on a charge pre-
ferred against him by Judge b. N
Smith of department l of the superior
court and his punishment was fixed al
fine of 500, which he paid.
The Glover contempt case has been
in the superior courts since the trial
of Edward Lane, a butcher boy charged
with murder, before Judge Smith sew
eral months ago.
Lane was arrested on the murder
charge, the allegations of which fixed
him as the offender in a fight on San
Fernando street during which a young
chauffeur had been killed.
Lane was tried by jury and found
guilty. His friends took up his cause
and his father came to Los Angeles
and asked that leniency be shown the
boy because of his youth and indis-
erection. AS only manslaughter YER
dict had been returned against him
Judge Smith released Lane on five
years probation.
Shortly thereafter Lane was taken
into court by order of Judge Smith.
1t was alleged at that time that the
young man had been Dragging that his
fathers money had secured his release
and he was then sentenced to serve
ten years. imprisonment in states PEN
itentiary.
Files Contempt Proceedings
On the day before Lane was to be
sentenced and just after his rearrest
on Judge Smiths order, a cartoon was
published in Mr. Clover's paper in
which Judge Smith was represented as
walking out of door, while a figure
of justice pointed at him and said
mot up, but out"
The cartoon was clIpnnca1 70 bo1ya
reference to Judge Smiths aspirations
for the appellate bench at that time,
and q jingle beneath the cartoon was
so Worded that Judge Smith filed con-
tempt proceedings against the editor
on the ground that the jingle might
have been intended to influence his de-
cision in the Lane case in that it an
peared in print before the case had
been finally settled. Later two libel
suits, one in reference to an editorial
In the News relative to Judge Smiths
decision in the Losee case, the other
IN regard tc the Lane case, We're filed
for damages amounting to $50,0O0, and
those suits are still pending.
In the meantime the Glover contempt
case dragged through the courts until
yesterday, when it was finally settled
after Mr. Glover had given his evil
dence In department 5 before Judge
Bledsoe of San Bernardino county, who
has beer conducting the proceedings.
Judge Bledsoe's decision was as fol-
lows:
II am convinced that there was not
sufficient innuendo in the verse alone
to make contempt of court. cannot
help but believe that the cartoon as
published by the consent of Mr.. Glover
was not published with other than the
idea of influencing the courts decision
in the Lane case. Lane had been taken
before Judge Smith and at that time
he had not been sentenced, so that the
case was still in court. Mr.. Glover
caused the cartoon to be published,
the sentiment that had been
wrought up against the decision of
probation for the young man.
"The cartoon was calculated to in
fiuence the decision of the court. Mr.
Glover has testified that he did not
know but that the case had been An
ished at that time, and / believe him.
| am persuaded that he did not know
the case was then in pendancy. But
ignorance does not excuse. / therefore
find Mr.. Glover guilty of contempt of
court and fix his punishment at a fine
Of 800 which he shall pay into this
court within twenty-four hours"