New-York tribune., 1911-10-21
'WM. bERR| IN LIBEL CASE
Judiciary Candidates Cause the
Brooklyn Publishers Arrest.
HE PLEADS "NOT GUILTY"
Editorial Attack on Tammany,
Hinting at Scandal, Basis
of the Complaint.

William BERT. president OF the Brooklyn
Union Publishing Company and one OF the
best known Republicans OF Brooklyn, was
arrested Yesterday morning or the charge
Of criminal libel. The accusation was
based on an editorial which appeared In
The Standard Unon" Wednesday. The
couplainants were the three Democratic
candidates for the Supreme Court bench
Surrogate Herbert r. Ketcham. Assistant
Corporation Counsel Patrick F. Callahan
and ex-Congressman William Wiilett
The complainants and their counsel. VIII
lam y Dykman, visited Chief Magistrate
otto Kempner's Office at the Adams street
police court at II o'clock yesterday morn
ing. where they drew I'D. and surrogate
Kctcham signed. complaint. The magis-
trste then issued a warrant for Mr.. Berri.
who was notified by telephone, and soon
after appeared IN court with his attorney
Meier Steinbrink. Of Jones. Mckinney &
Steinbrink
Mir steinbrink looked over the papers
and said his client would plead not
guilty" He asked for an early eTamina-
ron. The magistrate suggested this morn
ing
we are ready 10 go ahead said Colonel
Dvkn5n. but We would Ike 10 know JUST
what stand they are going 10 take. Are
ttev going 10 denv that Mr. Berri wrote
the article. that he is not the publisher
or the responsible party? That would. OF
course. nccessitate our securing further
proofs
we have pleaded not guilty said
Mr Steinbrink
..7,,.... .,,, do.,,. o,.e~,.tbirr and We will
have 10 summon witnesses 20 prove that
Mr. Re-ri is the person against whom We
make the complaint
The responsible owner and publisher is
here"
Then YOU are not going 70 crawl, but
admit full responsibility for the article
"Our plea is not guilty, MI Stein
brink said again. DO You want us TO
change our plea? What our defence VIII
be YOU will learn on the day Of eXamina-
tion."
Mr. Steinbr'nk said the complaint had
annexed only part Of the offending ed
itoriaI II was finally agreed that the OK
animation be set down for Monday. The
magistrate then raroled Mr. Berri in the
custody Of his counsel After the hear
ing N- Be~ri was called into the room
Of the complaint clerk and his pedigree
was taken He said that he was sixty
two years old. a vidoWer. citizen Of the
United States and that he lived ~ No. i65
Clinton avenue
Mr. Wiuett said subsequently, that JUS
tice Blackmar of the Supreme Court had
been informed Of the contemplated action
Of the candidates Thursday afternoon and
that they thought of carrying the case he
fore him He told them that II was un-
usual for Justice 10 sit as q committing
magistrate and thought that the proper
course would he 10 appear before a city
magistrate Surrogate Eetcham. who was
present. added:
Il want ~ impress uuou won newspaper
men that Justice RlaCkmar did not refuse
warrant SO paper Of Information of
any sort was ever laid before him In this
matter He simply decided thar the proper
rIace % 70 10 would be this court Re
sure that YOU do not forget that point
7 have an idea that many Of vou do not
intend no forget it 7 only want t0 inform
you that cveryh body viii be watched very
carefully In the matter of lheIs during
the rorf ~ this campaign.
Among the most objectionable parts of
the editorial We're those asserting that
nominations 20 tho supreme Court We're
moi made hy Democratic people. bur NN
7'arr---rv and that there was rUmor
~ q shocking scandal involving the paw
usrt of q large sum of money