Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-17
EDITORS INDICTED
FOR CANAL LIBEL
True Bills Against Pulitzer,
Smith and Others.
WARRANTS FOR ARREST
Writs Expected to Be Issued Late
This Afternoon.
PRESIDENTS NAME IN CASE
William II. and Charles P. Taft,
Cromwell, Morgan and Robinson
Also Named in Counts.
WARRANTS FOR ARREST
Writs Expected to Be Issued Late
This Afternoon.
PRESIDENTS NAME IN CASE

The District of Columbia grand
jury today indicted the Press
Publishing Company, corpora
ton; Joseph Pulitzer, its presi-
dent, and Caleb NJ. Van Hamm
and Robert II. Lyman, editors
OF the NewYork World, and Della
van Smith and Charles r. Will
liams, owners and proprietors OF
the Indianapolis News, for crimi
nal libel in connection with the
publication in the two newspapers
OF stories concerning alleged graft
in the purchase OF the Panama
canal.
Theodore Roosevelt, William
II. TAFT, Elihu H. Root, ]. Per
pont Morgan, Charles P. Taft,
Douglas Robinson and William
Nelson Cromwell are named in
the indictments as the persons al
legged to have been vilified by
,he stories appearing in the two
papers.
The name of the President does
not appear until the third count
of the indictment, but is also in
the fourth and fifth counts. VIII
liam Howard Taft is mentioned in
the third and fourth counts and
that of Elihu Root in the fifth
count only.
The indictments We're returned by the
grand jury before Justice Gould, in
Criminal Court No. 1. at 1880 O'Clock.
The entire membership of the jury
present. AS soon as Foreman Devine
had handed the papers to Justice Gould
United States Attorney Baker asked that
bench warrants be issued for the indi
vidual defendants and a summons for
the corporation. Justice Gould directed
the issuance of the writs. The warrants
will be issued late this afternoon.
The indictment here quotes at length
from the printed headlines over articles
and pictures of Charles P. Taft, William
Nelson Cromwell and Douglas Robinson
printed in the World.
The count is preceded by an exhaustive
statement of the facts and circumstances
connected with the purchase of the canal
from the Compagnie Universelle du Ca
nal lnteroceanique de Panama, which
represented by William Nelson Crom-
well.
Act of Congress Cited.
The indictment also recites the act of
Congress OF March :. 1899. authorizing the
appointment Of a commission TO investi-
gate the isthmus with a view 10 the con-
struction o. a canal by this government.
The appointment OF the Walker commits
sion and the finding OF the commission
that reasonable prize To be paid the
French company for its holdings
Sin,No.,HD are set forth in detail the
terms OF the agreement to purchase il
also detailed. including the selection o:
j. i. Morgan * Co. special disours.ng
agent OF the United states for the Treas
ut-E Department TO transmit the Sin,Got.t.ia
10! distribution according % agree
ment of appointment between the re-
spective interests in France.
The indictment also sets forth that at
The time OF the commission OF ihe al
legged ofense Charles =. Taft was 1t
resident of the city of Cincinnati, state
OF Ohio. and was a halfbrother of one
William II. Taft hereinafter mentioned.
and the said Charles +. Taft did not own
amy of the stocks or bonds, have any
interest in any OF the properties of the
aforesaid companies. and did not receive.
ether directly or indirectly, any money
20 the said United States; that one.
Douglas Robinson was a resident of the
Cty of New York. state of New York,
aud was a brother-in-law of one Theo-
dore Roosevelt. who, during the time
and times aforesaid. was the President of
the United States, and the said Douglas
Robinson did not own any of the stocks
or bonds. or have any interest in any
Of the properties, of the aforesaid com
paHies, and did not receive. either Gi-
rectly or indirectly. any money from tile
sale of the said Panama canal TO the
said United States; that one William
practicing in the city of New York.
state of New York and residing in the
same place, and was general counsel in
the United States of America for the
aforesaid Compagnie NouveIIe du Canal
de Panama, and had no interest i'm the
sale OF said Panama canal except Coun-
sci Tor said company, that one E.llhu Root.
during the time and times of the commits
sion of each of the offenses set forth in
each of the several counts of this indict-
ment. was Secretary of State. and prior
thereto that is to say. from the list DAY
OF August, in the year uf our Lord 1899.
continuously to the 31st day Of January
i'm the year OF Lord I.i14. was the Sec
ietary of War of the said United States.
that one j. Pierpont Morgan was resi-
dent OF the city of New York state OF
New York. and was a member of the firm
of J. u. Morgan 60. aforesaid. car
ryinS on banking business i'll
Inc Sdlu CITY ana else ne. {, illJt one
William II. Taft. on the fourth day of
July. i'm the year OF our Lsrd one thou
saad nine hundred and one. becar6e the
civil Governor of the Philippine Islands
and continued as such until the first day
ot February, in the year OF our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and four. when
lac became the Secretary of War OF the
said United States. and continued to be
and was the said Secretary of War UNI
Ill the thirtieth day of June i'm the year
OF our Lord one thousand nine hundred
and eight; that on. To- wit the fourteenth
day of September, in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and one.
and continuously since. one Theodore
Roosevelt became and has been the Presi-
dent OF the said United States
The Second Count.
The second count alleges that October
last an alleged libelous article appeared
tn the World under the headlines. }. y.
Morgan in G'romWelTs Canal Syndicate
ON Second PagG1