Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-02

/ 800, 10 be collected by civil PROCESS
only.
The story of the Warren case has
attracted national interest. Warren is
a native of Illinois and is 80 years OF
age. He is a son of a Methodist min
lister, and a direct descendant of the
| Warren who died at Bunker Hill.
/ When he was IS years of age he be-
| came the editor of a paper at Rich
/ Hill. Mo. He was a republican in pol
itics and the perintendent OF Sun
day school. When not fighting for his
party he was warning against the sa-
looms Warren became a socialist at
about the same time that Bryan first
ran for president. Ten years ago he
took editorial charge of the Appeal to
Reason, and since he has been at the
helm on that paper and has Increased
its circulation from $4,000 to more
than a half million.
SCENTED CONSPIRACY.
Warren felt that there was a con-
spiracy against the Colorado miners
and plunged into the thick Of the fight
10 save those who were accused. II
happened that Steunenberg was not
the only governor who had been assas-
sinated. Jan. 80, 1900, William Goebel,
governor-elect, was killed at Frank
fort, Ky, by shots said to have been
fired from the state house windows.
The story of the developments since
the death of the governor is familiar
one to most of the newspaper readers
of the country. William S. Taylor,
former governor of Kentucky; Caleb
Powers, and others. were indicted.
Taylor fed to Indiana and remained
there in spite of all attempts made
for his extradition. He maintained
that he could not obtain a fair trial in
the state of Kentucky. and friendly
governors upheld the distinguished fu-
gitive. Kentucky offered a reward of
100000 for his apprehension and re-
turn. 1t was this condition of affairs
that gave Warren his inspiration"
On Jan. u. 1907, about six weeks after
the supreme court had handed down
its decision on kidnapping, the offer of
$1,000 reward for the kidnapping of the
ex-governor appeared in red letters on
the cover page of the Appeal TO Rea-
son.
QUESTIONS SUPREME COURT.
In an editorial explanatory of this
offer Warren said
The supreme court Of the United
States has held that Kidnapping is a
perfectly legal method of taking an
accused man from one state 10 an
other. This decision was rendered in
the now famous Meyer Hayward case,
in which the defendants were both
socialists and workingmen. VIII the
supreme court of the United States
hold 10 this same opinion if the de
PENDANT is a republican and a capital
list? The Appeal 10 Reason
has absolutely no interest in the Tay-
lor-GOebel feud of Kentucky, but | want
10 put It up to the supreme court of
the United States to decide 4 case of
kidnapping where he victim is a repub.
lican politician and personal friend
of the president of the United States
o. KID BY POSTMASTER.
Warren was not arrested for this ut
terance. He conceived the idea of
the offer of the reward on
the outside of his Office envelopes He /
to the postmaster of Girard, Kan. who /
promptly assured Warren that such /
matter was not in violation of law /
Several thousand of these envelopes I
were mailed from the Appeal office. in 4
Of which Warren was in .
dicted in MAY. 1907, by a federal grand .
jury The indictment asserted that the F.
printing on the envelopes was of a .
scurrilous, defamatory and threatening .
character. and calculated by the terms /
and manner and style of display, and 4
obviously intended 10 reflect Injurious /
" upon the character and conduct of /
another, to-wit: William s. Taylor. a .
former governor of Kentucky. contrary
10 the form of the statute in such case /
made and provided. and against the
peace and dignity OF the United /
States"
OFFENSE AGAINST COUNTRY.
The gist of the indictment was to
the effect that Warren had committed 4
an offense against the United States
because Of having reflected Injurious
y upon the character and conduct" of .
a man then under Indictment for aIleg-
ed participation in one of the most das-
tardly murders ever committed in the
United States; a man who was then q
fugitive from Justice and for whom the
state OF which be had been the chief