Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-05-25
Col. A. J. Blethen, {. B. Bleth-
en- and E. B. Rathbun In
dicted by Grand Jury
CONSPIRACY IS ALLEGED
Criminal Libel and Participa-
tion in Dance Hall Graft
Charged

SEATTLE, May 23.-The most SEN
sational incident of the so-called anti
vice crusade that began last fall and
that resulted in the recall of Mayor
Hiram &. Gill and the retirement of
all the city councilmen friendly to
him occurred today when the special
grand jury indicted Col. Alden j.
Biethen, editor and owner of the Seat
tie Times, on charges of criminal libel,
conspiracy and participation in dance
hail graft, three indictments; indict-
ed Clarence b. Blethen, managing edi-
tor OF the lines, on charges OF crlmi-
nal libel and conspiracy, and indict-
| ed Chauncy b. Rathburn, city editor
OF the Times, on a charge of criminal
| libel
The complaining witness in the H.
bel cases is j. Y. c. Kellogg, inquisi-
tor of the council investigating com
mittee last winter.
Other Indictments
The grand jury also returned two
additional indictments against form
er Chief of Police Charles w. Wap-
penstein making a total of six now
filed against him. Other indictments
were returned against Ludovic Dallag-
iovanna and Charles Bergman, for
mery proprietors of large dance hall
in the old King street vice district.
Bail was fixed at $4,000 on each
Indictment, and all the defendants
We're released on their own recOgni-
zance to appear in court tomorrow
to furnish bond
The grand jury adjourned until
July 6.
Col. Blethen's Statement
Iol. Bletnen Delng interviewed after
the warrants based on the indictments
had been served, made the following
statement:
These indictments are the out
come of politics pure and simple,
and neither one of them is founded
upon a grain of truth and no candid,
honest men would ever have found
an Indictment as the result.
The city has been secured for
two months and scores of witnesses
have been put before the grand jury
for the sole purpose of connecting
the editor of the Times with some
species of graft under the Gill ad-
mnistration, but up to date there
isn't a scintilla of evidence to estab-
lish any such charge.
Even the indictments which have
been rendered against one or two per-
sons charging graft are based on the
alleged confession of two notorious
law breakers-both of whom swore
before the investigation committee
that they had never paid a cent to
any one for the right to conduct
gambling in the restricted district.
Puts Blame on Minister
so far as the editor of the Times
is concerned, the Indictment brought
against him for conspiracy is sim
ply the result of his refusal 10 be-
come tool of Rev. Mark A. Mat
theWs, who acknowledges over his
own signature that he brought Detect
i've William J. Burns to this city on
his own motion, paid the expense him.
self and then demanded grand
jury.
-Four times Matthews has demand
ed of the editor of the Times that
he go to Matthews study in his
church for conference the purpose
supposedly being to persuade the ed
itor of the Times to turn his newspap-
er against the former chief of police
and generally support Matthews in
his raid against men whom he has
denounced as thieves and double
crOSSers.
Believes in Wappenstein.
"As the editor of the Times sin
cerely believes in the honesty Of for
mer Chief Wappenstein and absolute
ly in his efficiency and ability as an
organizer Of police forces by reason
of his experience in Seattle during
the last five years, the editor refuses
to join the gang whose sole object
is to put the former chief behind the
bars.
The editor of the Times does not
believe that one sentence of honest
testimony has been put before the
grand jury touching the former chief
and will continue to so believe until
the contrary be proven in open court
before trial jury.
1T is because the Times would not
join the gang of marauders headed
by DR.. Matthews, an elder of whose
church is foreman of this grand jury.
that Matthews friends have been de-
termined to get an Indictment against
the editor of the Times to discredit
what the Times may hereafter say
touching these trials in open court.
Says He Never Will Be Tried
THE circumstances surrounding |
the bringing of these indictments are
of character to convince any can |
did and unbiased man that instead |
of the editor of the Times being sub |
Ject to an indictment for conspiracy !
the only conspirators subject to critic