The San Francisco call., 1909-02-18
WORLD AND NEWS
EDITORS INDICTED
Criminal Libel Regarding Pana=
ma Canal Purchase Charged
by U. S. Grand jury
Roosevelt, Tafts, Root, Morgan,
Robinson and Cromwell
Named as ViIified

rants were ISSUED today for the arrest
of Joseph Pulitzer, Caleb NJ. Van Hamm,
and Robert H. Lyman of New York.
proprietor and editors of the New
York World, and for Delevan Smith
and Charles r. Williams. owners of
the indianapolis News, for criminal
libel in connection with the publication
of charges of Irregularities in the
purchase by the United States of the
Panama canal property from the
French owners.
The indictments were returned to-
day by the United States grand jury
sitting in this city. The warrants are
directed against all five of the natural
defendants of the two newspapers The
summons requires the corporate de-
PENDANTS (the Press publishing com
pany of New York; to appear In
court forthwith
Copies of the bench warrants and
the certified copies of indictments were
placed in the hands of the United
States marshal here, and he will pro-
ceed in accordance with the directions
of District Attorney Baker.
Theodore Roosevelt. William H. Taft,
Elihu Root, J. Pierpont Morgan, Charles
P. Taft, Douglas Robinson and Will
w
indictments as the persons vilified.
Copies of the summons and of the in
dictment were served this evening upon
the Press publishing company by serv-
ice on Otto Carmichael, its agent in this
jurisdiction. The certified copies will
be filed with United States Commits
sioner John r. Shields in New York,
who will issue warrants for the ar
rests of the natural defendants of the
Nax- will a hrnn yht
before him to show cause why they
should not be extradited to this juris-
diction for trial.
If the commissioner holds the indict-
ment sufficient and the offense one
upon which the defendant may be eX-
tradited to this jurisdiction, the de-
PENDANTS may seek writ or habeas
corpus in the United States district
court for the southern district OF New
York and may appeal TO the United
States supreme court.
If the defendants should pursue the
course outlined above, at least year
will elapse before they can be brought
before the bar for trial.
Failure of an attempt to blackmail.
according to William Nelson Cromwell,
was the reason for the publication or
the stories which he declared today
were premeditated and made with
sources and after specific warning by
me of their falsity."
The stories," he added, were con-
cocted more than two a half years ago
by unscrupulous parties in New York,
some of whom have criminal records,
in an attempt to blackmail me-"
He said he was asked to pay $4,000
to have the stories suppressed.
81 do not believe the World was
Y7n r>txy m thaSa a
dealing with the same gang. The in
dictment of the New York World and
the indianapolis News is not an in
dictment of the press of the United
States. as they would like to have 1t
appear to obtain the support of the
general press of the country. 1 am in
favor of free and unmuzzled press"
Abuse of Power, Says World
NEW YORK, Feb. 17.-Bowers and
Sangs of counsel for the World when
seen tonight said they had no state
ments returned at Washington, but
that the defendants would be entitled
to a hearing in this city unless they
waived examination and decided TO go
tonight the World says in part:
This prosecution, if it succeeds, will
place every newspaper in the country
which circulates in Washngton-and
not circulate there-completely at the
mercy of an autocratic, vainglorious
president who is willing to prostitute
his authority for the qualification of
his personal malice.
There is hardly an editor or writer
or reporter who would not be SINH
larly liable to indictment at the whim
of a president. In addition to this,
all of them would likewise be liable to
criminal indictment.
Mr.. Roosevelt is now abusing his
great power as president to exploit
his political malice. These libel pro-
ceedings have no other object than to
enable Mr.. Roosevelt to employ the
machinery of the United States govern
ment to satisfy his personal desire for
revenge.
we say this reluctantly, but we say
it without qualification, because it is
true.
"Mr. Roosevelt is an episode. The
World is an institution"