The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-17
 New York World Staff Summoned. ALLEGED CANAL SCANDAL
 WILL GO TO COURTS Correspondents Will Testify Before Grand Jury. The Case is Entitled "The United states versu. the Press PasIishinw Company, Publishers of
 the New Yosk WOrld.-

"oSh'hStoht Jan. 1b.-Sfx washing ton correspondents of out-of-town pa- pers, and a local news boy, today re- ceived subpoenas to appear next week before Federal grand juries. and give testimony. presumably in connection with statements appearing in their publications. bearing on the Panams Canal purchase.
 So far as 1t has been possible to ascertain, the following were the only ones cited: Otto Carmichael, Charles 5. Albert and E. Jesse Conway, all of The New York World stan; James Hornaday, Indianapolis News: Jeremiah Matthews. New York Sum- Harris N. Crist, Brooklyn Eagle, and William smith, newsboy Of Washington, en. gagged In selling New York papers. With the exception of Mir. Crist. whs Is commanded to go to New York ana present himself Monday morning. be- fore the grand jury of the Circuit Court for the Southern District, ths parties are directed to appear before the Federal grand jury of the District Of Columbia Tuesday morning next, The World stan were also directed tc bring with them files of the paper for september. October, November and December. 1908 "in the case of the United States vs. The Press Publish- ing Company" publishers of The New York World.
 All of the parties. when interviewed declared that they were wholly ig- norant o: the cause regarding the case which they were called upon fo tes- tify.
 There is no doubt here that the sub. poepas have to do with a suit for libel, which 1t is believed has been brought by the Government in New York against The World.
 Mir. Laffan of The New York Sun and Mir. Deiavan Smith of The indianapolis News were severely Ienounced by tha President in letter dated Dec. \ last to William Dudley Foulke. Later, in q message the President denounced Mir. Pulitzer Gf The New York World. fr, his special message to Congress of Dec. 1S regarding the charges Of corruptiou fby or on behalf of the Government h the matter of canal purchase, the President announced that the Attor- ney-Geheral had under consideration the form in which proceedings for libel against Mir Pulitzer should be brought
 New in Litigation. Never before has such action as the United States Government suing foi criminal libel been taken. The Presi dent. in his message, was most em. phatic in saying that 1t should moi be left to private citizen to enter the suit, and he was particular Ie state that he did not believe i've should concern ourselves with the particular individual who wrote the lying and libcllous editorials. articles from correspondents, or articles in the news columns. The real offender ia Mir. Joseph Pulitzer, editor and pro- prietor of The World"
 Il, therefore, Is inferred that the correspondents were summoned as witnesses and with not the ultimate idea of. making them co-defendanta.
 As soon as the subpoena was served upon him, Mir. Carmichael got fin touch with his office in New York and left on an afternoon train for that city, where he will hold a conference with his superior officers.
 - ''I do not know what 1t Is about" said MT. Carmichael before leaving. and I have no information from the office about the matter"
 That every effort was made to pre- vent any leak" in New York before the subpOenas were served. is evidenced by the fact that Mir. Crist's subpoena was directed to John" Crist," the en- dOrsement later being written upon 1t that John" was Q fictitious name. The fact that MT. crist has been or- dered to appear before a Federal court in New York Is regarded as an evidence
 
 tained to bring such an action in the New York State courts. it has been abandoned perhaps on account of ad- vices from District Attorney Stimson that such a course was not feasible or perhaps because of the refusal of Mir. Jerome, District Attorney for Man haitian, to undertake to present such a case to the State tribunals.
 Grand jury proceedings in the Dis trIct of Columbia are always con ducted with the greatest secrecy.
 Additional interest is lent to the case by the presence in this city of William Nelson Cromwell. who repre- sented the Canal Company in the ne- gotiations with the Government.
 Several attempts were made to reach him at his hotel, but all callers were informed that he was not fin.
 At the White House nothing was gleaned which would throw any light on the matter.