The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-01-21
MYSTERY IN LIBEL
CASE IS LIFTED
GOVERNMENT IS COMPLAINANT
AND WORLD DEFENDANT.
RoTH NAMED IN suRPoENA
Grand Jury In Washington Examines
c. P. Taft and Robinson--In-
dlctment Expected In
the District.

New York Jan. 20.-The veil OF
mystery which has 'enveloped the Sc.
cret examination before the federal
grand jury here Of newspaper men and
others believed to have knowledge re.
garding the publication of alleged
iibelous matter concerning the pur.
chase by the United States of the
Panama Canal Company, would seem
70 have been lifted last night by the
issuance Of a subpoena in which for
the first time the names OF both the
complainant and defendant are made
public
This document, made out against
John Doe, was served upon William
J. Dempsey, head OF the mailing de-
partment OF the New York World, and
commands his appearance before the
federal grand jury to testify I'm the
matter OF the United States against
the Press Publishing Company"
which company publishes the World.
World Men May Drop Fight.
II Is generally believed that the ac-
ton Of the federal authorities in thus
coming out in the open as complainant
against the World will result in the
abandonment of the proceedings be-
gun by j. Angus Shaw, secretary of
the Press Publishing Company, and
four other employees of the World, to
have the subpoenas served upon them
quashed on the ground that omis-
zion Of the names OF both complain
ant and defendant rendered them in
valid, or else in the issuance of new
subpoenas naming complainant and
accused TT
Another of the days developments
which definitely establishes the pro-
ceedings as an action for libel against
the World was the calling into con-
snltation, BY United States District At,
torney Henry l.. Stimson OF William
Travers jerome, district attorney for
the county or New York. Mr.. Jerome
would not reveal the nature of the
conference held between Mr.. Stimson
and himself, but admitted that It had
had direct bearing on question Of
libel alleged to have been committed
in the county Of New York.
Secret Service Men on Hand.
Although the only witness examined
yesterday was E. NJ Engelman, an
employee of a news association, who is
said to have furnished the data upon
which the alleged libelous articles sub
sequently published by the World
were based, the presence outside the
grand jury room of two secret service
men from Washington with a mass
of documents and a number Of account
books gave rise to all sorts of rumors,
one of which had to do with the pos
sible bringing by the government of
an action for criminal conspiracy.
Robinson and Taft Examined.
The federal grand jury here yester-
day continued it's Investigation into
the Panama canal libel matter, and a
number of witnesses were examined.
Principal among these were Messrs.
Douglas Robinson, brother.in-law Of
President Roosevelt, and Charles P.
Taft. brother OF the president-elect,
both of whom maintained the utmost
silence regarding their testimony and
absolutely refused to say whether
they appeared as plaintiffs. All the
Washington correspondents who we're
cited to appear gave information es-
tablishing their connection with either
the New York World or the Indianap-
oils News, while several newsdealers
and newsboy testified to having sold
the paper to the general public.
T. H.. .,
abated and 1t is now limited that 1t is
the expectation of the president that
an indictment will be brought in the
District o. Columbia, regardless of
any action taken in New York or In
dianapolis. In that event the prose
cutting officers of the government en-
terrain no fear Of their ability to
bring here those who may be made
the defendants.