The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-17
NEWSPAPER MEN SUBPoENAED
TO TESTIFY REGARDING
CANAL SCANDAL.
.SUMMONSES ARE ISSUED
Six Washington Correspondent and a
News Dealer Are Ordered to Appear
Before Grand Jury This Week-Be-
lieved That Government Has Started
Proceedings Against Publishers.

Washington, Jan. 16.--Six Washing
ton correspondents OF out-of- town pa
today subpoenaed to appear next week
before federal grand jurors and testi-
statements appearing in their publi-
cations bearing IN the Panama canal
purchase SO far as it has been pos
sible to ascertain, these We're the
only ones cited Otto Carmichael,
Charles s. Ambert and e. Jesse Con-
way of the New York World; James
Hornaday, indianapolis News; Jere-
miah Matthews, New York Sun; Har-
ris NJ. Crist, Brooklyn Eagle. and
William Smith, a newsboy Of Wash
ington, engaged in selling New York
papers. With the exception of Mr..
Crist who Is commanded to go to
New York and present himself today
before the federal grand jury, the
parties are directed to appear before
the federal grand jury of the District
of Columbia next Tuesday
The World men. also were directed
to bring with them files of the paper
for September, October, November
and December, 1908. ''in the case of the
United States versus the Press Pub
fishing company" publishers of the
New York World There is no doubt
that the subpoenas win have to do
Iyif TA. s.xt l.
lieved has been brought by the gov
ernment in New York against the
World. The publishers of the New
York Sun and the Indianapolis News,
Mr.. Laffan and Delavan Smith, were
denounced by the president in a let
ter dated December l. last, to William
Dudley Foulke. In his annual mes
sage to congress of December 15, re-
garding the charges of corruption, the
president announced that the attor-
ney general had under his considera-
tion the form in which proceedings
for libel against Joseph Pulitzer. pub
Usher of the New York World, should
be brought. Nowhere In the annals
of the government has such action
before been taken as the government
suing for criminal libel.
Most Emph hatic.
The president in his message was
most emphatic in saying that it should
not be left to a private citizen to en-
ter the suit, and was particular to
state that he did not believe I'VE
should concern ourselves with the par
ticular individuals who wrote the ly-
ing and libelous editorials, articles
from correspondents or articles in the
news columns. The real offender is
Joseph Pulitzer, editor and proprie-
tor of the World"
1t therefore is inferred that the
were summoned as
witnesses and not with the ultimate
idea of making them co-defendants.
All efforts to get any information
regarding the statute under which
the suit has been brought failed.
Prevent "leak."
That every effort was made to pre-
vent leak" I'm New York before
the subpoena was served, Is evidenced
by the fact that. Mr.. Crisis subpoena
was directed to John" Crist the in
1orsement later being written upon it
that John" was a fictitious name.
The fact that Mr.. Crist has been or
1ered to appear in New York is re-
sarded as evidence that If any pur-
pose had been entertained to bring
such an action in New York state
'ourts 1t had been abandoned
Grand Jury proceedings in the
District of Columbia are always con-
iucted with the greatest secrecy.
Additional interest is lent to the
'ase by the presence here of William
Nelson Cromwell, who represented
me canal company in the negotia-
ions with the government. Several
attempts were made to reach him
1T his hotel, but all callers were in
.ormed that he was not in.