The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-06-29

A1At lAlo4Al tutereat Enn ceuferec
around the arrest Of Tom Watson. Of
Thomson. Ca. on q charge of sendiuy
obscene matter through the mails An
oonneeiiou with his article In The JET.
fersonian and watson's Magazine on
Roman Catholicism. IL evidenced by
the clippings and communlcatlons
which have flooded this once Tor the
past week. Our correspondents see
plainly the issue of free speech and a
free press and All are determined that
watson should be given q fair nBd
Just hearing. In fact the case wou.d
have 20 be moved from the state OF
Georgia n anything short OF that we're
attempted. One writer goes 20 FAR
AZ 10 state that a jury cannot be Sc.
cured In Georgia that viii convict
Watson unless he is guilty OF a crime.
and they claim that N he % guilty 90
are thousands Of others
The following account OF watson's
preliminary hearing. taken from an
Augusta paper. shows the loyalty OF
Watson's friends. as we'll as the kind
OF stun the man 10 made OF whom the
hierarchy is trying TO land behind the
bars:
Augusta. Ga.-Thomas r. Watson
was bound over by Commissioner God.
win 10 the next term OF the United
States court, In this district. under a
bond OF $500. which was signed by
Mr.. Watson's brother. Acting as his
own attorney 10 the preliminary hear.
ing on the charge OF sending obscene
matter through the mails In his mags.
zine. Mr. Watson took the position
that the government had no right TO
arrest him a. an individual: that Il
there is culpability, Il Ia on the part OF
the Jeffersonian Publishing company,
OF which he Is only a part: that the
stockholders. many OF whom are
women and children, would have 20 be
arrested, and the government wouh
have TO proceed against the cor.
poIatlon.
District Attorney Aeksrnan's reply
was that he 10 not after the mlnnows,
he 10 going for the big hsh.
Mr.. Watson insisted repeatedly on
being furnished the name OF his prose.
cutor. saying that, In the event the
government does not make out a case
he Is entitled 70 that name that ne
might proceed against the prosecutor
for damages. Eventually the district
attorney replied that he is the prose.
cutor; that he approved the issuance
OF the warrant. and n Mrs. Watson is
calculating on an after prosecution OF
somebody. he can turn his attention
10 the district attorney.
In his examination OF Postotice In.
spector Mcknight. who swore TO the
Information on which the warrant was
issued. Mr.. Watson asked Are you
q member Of the Knights OF Columbus.
Mr.. Mcknight"
II am not"
Are you a Catholic, sir7"
81 am not; | am q Methodist"
Introduces the BIble.
When Mr.. Watson pressed the In.
speotor for the source OF his original
the name OF the person
who instigated the examination Of
Watson's Magazine, the inspector re.
piled that his instructions came from
3 The court room in the government
building was filled to its capacity, the
majority Of the crowd being former
populist supporters OF Mr.. Watson's,
with a sprinkling OF local people, who
were present out Of curiosity. When
Mr.. Watson walked into the room ne
was loudly q osred, and Marshal
White gave notice that the court would
permit no repetition OF the outbreak,
but he would clear the court room II
q second effort OF the kind should be
made.
When Mr.. Watson rose to address
the commissioner there was a second
outburst OF cheering and Commissioner
Goodwin quietly ordered the hearing re-
moved to his private ONCE and all
spectators excluded. The hearing was
then concluded In private.
Mr.. Watson offered In evidence
twenty-one books, including the Bible. !
and in his argument asserted that the !
matter published in his magazine. was |
not more obscene than parts OF the |
Bible. yet the United States govern
ment had permitted transmission |
through the malls OF all the books OF. |
feieL as evidence.