The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-18
INDICTED BY
WASHINGTON
GRAND JURY
ProprietorS and Editors of New
York World and Indianapo-
lis News the Victims.
LIBEL OF PROMINENT
PERSONS THE CHARGE
BENCH WARRANTS lsSUED-DE-
PENDANTS LIKELY TO RESIST
ACTION OF THE COURT.

Washington Feb. 17.-Bench warrants
were issued today for the arrest of Jo-
seph Pulitzer, Caleb NJ. Van Hamm and
Robert II. Lyman, of New York, pTopri-
etors 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 irregU-
Iarities in the purchase by the United
States of the Panama canal property
from the French owners.
The indictments were returned today 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 defendants Ghe
Press Publishing company 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 mar
shall here and he viii proceed in accord
ance with the direction of District At
tOTney Baker.
Names of Those "LibelIed."
Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft.
Elihu Root J. PieTpOnt Morgan, Charles
2. Taft, Douglas Robinson and William
Nelson Cromwell are named in the in
dictments as the persons vilified.
Copies OF the summons and of the in
dIctment We're served this evening upon
4
on Otto Carmichael, its agent in this jur-
isdiction. The certified copies will be
filed with United States Commissioner
John F. Shields, in New York, who will
issue warrants for the arrest Of the natu-
Tal defendants of the New York World
who will be brought before him to show
cause why they should not be extradited
10 this jurisdiction for trial
Habeas Corpus Likely.
In the event that the commissioner
should hold the indictment sufficient and
the offenSe one upon which the defend
ants may be extradited to this jurisdic-
ton, the defendants may seek a writ of
habeas corpus in the United States dis
trict court for the southern district of
Yew York and may appeal to the United
sRsfes supreme court
VI the defendants should pursue the
course ouSined above, at least a year
probably will elapse before they can be
brought before the bar for trial.
Statement by Cromwell.
Failure of an attempt to blackmaH. ac-
coTding TO William Nelson Cromwell was
the reason for the publication of the
stories which. he declared today. were
premeditated and made with foreknOwI-
edge of their infamous sources and after
specific warning by NE of their falsity."
The stories" he added. were con-
cOcted more than two and a half years
aEo by INSCRIPTIONS parties in New
ofVds, in an attempt to biackmail me-"
He said he was asFed to pay So 600
to have the stories suppressed.
Il do not believe the World was a
party TO these attempts but it was deal
ing with the same gang. The 'indict-
ment of the New HC World and the
Indianapolis News is aOt an indictment
of the press of the uited States, as
tLey would like to have it appear. to OBJ
tain the support of the general press of
the country. 1 am in favor of free
and unmuzzled press"