The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-06-19
THE TRECO
LIBEL SUIT

Inc preliminary nearing OF tn0
charge against Byrd Trego for GRIM
inal libel, brought by Miss Alice
Beach, was heard before Justice Belo
Ball, Friday, and the testimony offer
ed by the prosecution was copies of
the Idaho Republican of March 9Th
and 18th, 1914, and the testimony
of Miss Beach, Albert s. Dickinson,
Karl P Brown and N. J. Thorsten-
berg saying it was damaging to her
reputation and bore imputations of
dishonor and perjury. Rev. Luther
Stromquist was the last witness and
he followed in the line of the others.
but said the imputations were all
conditioned upon theoratical state
of facts set forth in articles alleged
to be libelous.
The defense offered no testimony,
but submitted the typewriter opinion
of the supreme court wherein that
tribunal analyzed Miss Beach's posi-
tion in the trial of the Trego case Of
June, 1913. Attorney Hansbrough
asked Miss Beach If she found any
thing more harsh about her in the
Republican than there was in the
supreme courts opinion, and she said
she had not read the opinion. It
was handed to her, and she appealed
to the prosecuting attorney and the
court to know If her testimony and
Rev. o. P. Christians in that case
had not been expunged from the rec
ord or expunged from the opinion.
An answer to the inquiry was hardly
necessary as she had it IN her hand
and the document was opened at the
place where the court had written
her up, setting forth condition upon
which the article in the Republican
was based. She was asked if she
had brough any libel suits against
the members of the supreme court,
and after some study she replied that
she had not. She said she under
stood that the attorney general had
made motion to expunge all of her
testimony and Mr.. Christians from
the record, and took time to read
what the court said about her and
then gave it second reading before
she could answer any questions re-
garding it. She did not say why she
had wanted her testimony expunged
or who had told her it could be done
The prosecution offered in evidence
part Of the record of the testimony
she gave in the Trego trial of June,
1918, and the defense insisted ON
submitting it ALL which was done.
N. ]. Thorstenberg gave his opin-
ion very decidedly in favor of the
prosecution and against the defend
ant, admitted he had been a juror
at the trial, denied that he was pre-
JUDGED against the defendant at the
trial and before he qualified as a
JulOl dhOWClCu 4uCoJlOhb
until the defense asked him some
questions as to what he understood
by certain statements in the supreme
court decision regarding Miss Beach's
attitude in the case, and then he
stated that he had such bad headache
he could not think clearly At that
he was excused.
The prosecution was conducted by
County Attorney James e. Good and
the defense by G.. F. Hansbrough and
William A. Lee. The defense stated
that they were willing to submit the
case to the court on the testimony
of the witnesses for the prosecution
and the documentary evidence on the
table. 1t was agreed that arguments
should be made on the matter Thurs
day morning, June 18th, after the
court had taken time to examine all
the documents. 1t was afterwards
postponed to this morning at 10
o'clock.