The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-06-26
HENNESSY HELD
TO CIRCUIT COURT
On Charge OF Criminal Libel
Bond Placed at $400.

clerk of the New South Farm & Home
Co., mention of whose methods for
getting even" with his former en-
ployers was mentioned last week in
this paper, was arrested in jackson
vile last Friday evening by Sheriff
Kennerly on a warrant charging him
with criminal libel. Hennessy was
brought to Palatka on the train ar
irving here at II: 80 pm, that night
and lodged in jail. 1t was nearly six
O'Clock the following day that he was
nished by his wife. Then Hennessy
went to the Putnam House.
The following letter, addressed to
Mr.. Zeigler of Kenwood, this county,
was the basis of the charge of Grim
inal libel preferred by the company.
Palatka, April 20th, 1914.
Dear Mr.. Zeigler:
Please pardon my familiarity in ad
dressing you as Dad, (the envelope
was addressed to Dad Zeigler) but l
could not remember your initials and
wanted to let you know that | am hot
on Sieg's trail, and | am getting up
some facts and evidence which will
! do the work this time. You remem-
ber Mr.. Jones and his son, who stop
ped with you, do not recall his ini-
tials, but would like to get in touch
with Mrs. Jones so as to get state
ment from her about the way she was
treated, being shown the land belong
ing to Wood when she was there, and
then when her husband and son came
] ny1tI
land and built a house. You remem-
I ber all about it no doubt Now Mr..
Ziegler in writing to you | am de-
pending upon your honor as man
and | hope you wont betray this con-
fidence by letting the company know
about it. The company is insolvent,
l am sure of that and | want to get
a receiver appointed for the protec-
.tion of all the poor people who have
put in their hard earned cash. |
want to make public some facts and
Mr.. w. S. Carr, whose land is in sec
ton IA, is owned by the A, c. l.. Ry,
has given me a letter to the editor of
"DiXie," Jacksonville, Fla. | hope
Mrs. Jones will help by giving me a
letter to the editor, and | want you
to see them and help me if you can.
If you know of anyone else who will
help, get a letter from them. | am
sure Mr.. McCannon will help apd |
will write to him. I don't want but
three or four good ones. | would
come down to see you but that would
arouse too much curiosity, so | hope
YOU will do what you can to help the
thousands of poor victims,
Sincerely yours,
JAS. J. HENNESS4,
!, P.O. Box 98, 200 N. 3rd st., Pa
tlatka, Fla"
On Monday afternoon the case
against Hennessy came up for pre-
liminary hearing before Justice John
f. Marshall, and the afternoon was
taken up with argument over mo-
ton of J. V, Walton, attorney for
.Hennessy, to squash the warrant on
the ground that the charges are no
offense under the statutes of tlori-
da and that the facts are insufficient
to prove that the New South Farm 4
Home Co. was meant by the defend
ant in his letter to Ziegler.
Geo. w. Bassett Jr. for the prose-
cution, urged vigorously and showed
authority for the contention that any
imputation which Injuries by bring
ing into ill-repute any man or busi-
ness is an indictable offense. He al
so contended that when fact is al
legged even by inuendo, if such allie
cation is made by inuendo and which
is an imputation per Sc, it is held
to be an indictable offense.
Lot ~, tha of Nubaro
Judge Marshall made his decision to
deny the motion to squash, after
which he adjourned the case to >
Yo'clock Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday afternoon evidence was
introduced by the prosecution, the
witnesses being Mr.. Ziegler, the man
to whom the libelouS letter was writ
ten, Mr.. Chas. H. Sieg, the presi-
dent of the New South Farm & Home
Go. and Mr.. Fred'k W. Turner, vice
president and assistant secretary and
treasurer of the company. The lat
ter simply to show that the company
was solvent at the time the
letter above quoted was written
and since. Mr.. Ziegler's testimony
was to show that he received the
same through the mail, that it was
written by Hennessy and that the
said Hannessy meant the New South
Farm & Home Co. when he wrote
"the company is insolvent, | am sure
of that and | want to get a receiver
appointed" etc.
Arguments for the holding of Hen.
Messy to the grand jury were mad:
by MesSrs. Bassett and HilbuTn, ant
for his discharge by Mr. Walton.
Judge Marshall thought that it hat
been shown that Hennessy had in.
iured the company by his publication
of the false statements, and reader.
ed judgement holding him to the
grand Jury next October in the sun
of $4OO.
Hennessy was placed in the custo
DIV of his attorney for an hour or two
: until he could secure a bond, which
Awas later furnished by his wife.
= 1t is understood that Attorney
5 Walton will take the case betor>
t Judge Wills at Gainesville in an ap'
plication for a writ of habeas corpus
Jack Finn Buys Hights Property.
7 B. Finn, Palatka's popular CT.
gar manufacturer and capitalist, has
purchased the beautiful home of M
Dixon in the most exclusive section
of beautiful Palatka Heights. Mr.
Dixon has three months under the ar
rangement made with Mr.. Finn tc
vacate the property. As he has beer
for some time engaged in the milling
business in Alabama, it is likely Mr.
Dixon and family will move to thai