The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-06
CRIMINAL LIBEL
CHARGE IS MADE
Cleveland Man Is Put Under
Arrest in Washington
CASH BAIL is PUT UP
Arrest Is Made In Connection With
Charge Made In a Publication That
Congressman and Others Acted
In bad Faith
CASH BAIL is PUT UP

] Washington April 5.-John A. Penton
of Cleveland, Ohio, secretary of the Mer-
chant Marine League of the United
States, was arrested today on an indict-
ment for criminal libel as he stepped
from the house office building after tes-
tifying before the ship subsidy investigat-
Ing committee.
| In the voluminous papers connected
with the inquiry are numerous letters adj
dressed to representatives, to newspaper
| editors and other people, bearing Mr..
Penton's signature, relating to legislative
attitude toward restoring the merchant
Marine including charges that the for
eign shipping 'plunder bund' is taking
| this country
Former Representative James T. Nc
Cleary of Minnesota, at one time second
assistant postmaster general, had also
been subpoenaed to appear before the
committee today.
Penton was released after depositing
$500 cash bail this afternoon. The ar
rest was made on secret indictment re-
turned March 30, based on an editorial
which appedTtu vi OctcHlDCI III LIT
American Flag" the official organ of the
Merchants Marine league.
The alleged libellous statement, ac-
cording to the Indictment, appeared I'M
der the heading STEVENSON Soon to
have a Chance"
| 1t charged Congressman Stevenson
| with bao faith in "declaiming against
coolie labor and said that if he was
| in earnest he would have an opportunity
| to SO indicate by voting to do away with
coolie labor on American ships.
| Continuing under the subhead What
| manner of man is this?" the article
| reads
"A man fitted to hold public office that
will deliberately pervert and maliciously
| falsify that fact connected in any i'm
| portant public question Is a safe-trust-
worthy man-we hold that he is not
that such a man is dishonest and an
enemy to his country and his country $
| best interests and that he and men like
! him are constant menaces to American
progress at home and abroad"
| Mr.. Penton asked the house investga-
| ting committee today to postpone his
| examination until he could obtain coun-
| sci from Cleveland, identified number
of his letters submitted to Mr. Steerner-
son, and admitted that some of them
were unfortunate in their language" :
although he said the league assumed re-
| sponsibility for them ss
He said the issue of the American
| flag which had been offensive to mem
bers of the house, had been destro.
and publication of the paper disce..-
| tinued. $50. .sE --4s4 -1.
The committee will consider Mr.. Pen
tons request In executive session.
At the hearing today, Mr. Stevenson
inquired of James T. McCleary whether
| McCleary had not used the floor of the
house to urge members to support ship
| subsidy.
Mr. Mccleary Indignantly denied the
charge.
McCieary said he had talked about ship
subsidy with members of the house.
isn't it fact" said Mr.. STEVENSON,
that member of the house would not
sign petition you were circulating ask
| ing that you be appointed director of
The mint, because you were lobbying for
ship subsidy?''
"The man who declined to sign that
petition did not have courage enough to
state it that way. and you are the
man. holly retorted Mr.. McCleary
| Mr.. McCleary said his interest in ship
subsidy dated back to the time when he
was a member of the house and an Of
fetal in the post-offce department and
had difficulty in getting malls In Ameri-
can bottoms He admitted that he had
delivered a number of addresses on ship
subsidy for which no was paid expense
money by the Merchant Marine League
| of the United States. Once he received
! 500 for a trip to New Orleans and Blrm-
| ingham. He said he knew nothing about
paid lobby for ship subsidy.