Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-30
JOHN D. WORKS
IS ENGAGED TO
Defend De LARA
FORMER SUPREME JUDGE IS TO
CONDUCT EXAMINATION
SAYS INTEREST AROUSED BY
ILLEGAL ARREST
Believes One Result Of Case Will Be
Wedding Out of Undesirable
Members of Police
Force
r Ohm D. WORKS. former Judge of

II OHM D. WORKS, former Judge of
the state supreme court, and one
y of the most eminent jurists in
California, has been engaged by the
De Lara Defense league as chief ad-
vsory counsel in the fight which will
be made to prevent the deportation of
L. Gutirrez de Lara, the Mexican lib
eraL. Judge Works offered his services
in behalf of the political refugee, be-
lieving, as he said, that De Lara was
being prosecuted rather than prose-
cuted. Attorneys Clarence Nelly and
A. r. Holston will continue as counsel
for De Lara. Judge Works will be
called upon for advice and suggestions
in the conduct of the case. He prob
ably will conduct the examination of
witnesses at the hearing before the i'm
migration officers.
In discussing the De Lara case last
night Judge Works said:
when l was first told of the De
Lara case l was inclined to be little
skeptical about it. l thought that his
friends were misguided by their zeal
and that possibly he was an alien an
archist. l investigated the case on my
own account, and it was this investi-
cation which prompted me to speak at
the mass meeting last Saturday night
At that time | had no intention and no
special desire to become counsel for
the unfortunate man.
investigates De Lara Case
'I first learned that De Lara had
been arrested October 10 while speak
ing on the Plaza, and that he had
been, confined in the city Jail for three
days without right or authority of law,
being denied bail and a hearing. I
have interested myself for some time in
what term illegal arrests and l soon
decided that De Lara was one of those
who had been illegally arrested. At
this point | changed my ideas about
the man, and l began to believe that
he was being prosecuted, not prose-
cuted Since that time have had op-
portunity to go over the evidence upon
which his second arrest on a charge of
being an alien anarchist was based
While I do not care to give any Off
hand opinion on this evidence, 1t
really seems to me that II is rather
flimsy. OF course there may be more
evidence against the man. That we
shall know about before and during
the hearing which / believe has not
been set. If all the evidence against
De Lara is contained in the statements
of the police officers, am constrained
to- believe that De Lara Will not be
deported
1T ever has been against my policy
to try cases in the newspapers or be-
fore the public in any way. 1 believe,
however, that this particular case
should be given wide publicity. for the
results of it will be far-reaching. 1t
may result in wedding out some Of the
undesirable members of the police
force If that is accomplished 1t will
be a great good.
Convinced of Innocence
"I am now convinced that De Lara
is a liberty-loving, we'll educated man,
who seeks to free his people from op-
preston. That l do not consider a
crime. 1t is not considered crime be-
cause Washington led the Continental
army or because Lincoln freed the
slaves. If De Lara teaches what he
tells me he teaches. the brotherhood of
man, he certainly is not an anarchist.
I believe that is all we are called upon
to prove, and feel sure we can easily
prove that to the satisfaction OF the
departme ent of commerce and labor and
every man, woman and child who is
open to reason and who understands
the English language"
Although he was a little tardy In
furnishing information to Attorneys
Nelly and Holston, Immigration In
specor A. C. Ridgway is trying to show
them all the courtesy possible under
the circumstances He is more or less
bound by red tape and rules OF the
department of commerce and labor and
therefore has to act slowly. Mr.. Nelly
said yesterday that the inspector Is
giving all possible aid in the case and
seems to be absolutely unbiased in
every action.
The hearing has not yet been set.
although 1t is believed it will be held
late next week The inspector says ne
will set the date to suit the conve-
nience of the attorneys as far as