The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-13
VOICE FROM Dixie HE RAPS DEFENSE
Mathis of Alabama Refuses Let Jury Read
Commercial Club. Attack Paper.
Attending Meeting of Menace Publishers Bring Many
State of Agriculture. Volumes to Court.
COTTON is NO LONGER KING PRIEST FEHDANT'S WITNESS
Farming Is the Sal CIOse-Argumens
of the South. This Afternoon.
Speaker Practical Minister Prevented
Farmer Herself, at Home. From Expressing Opinions
Judge Refuses to Let Jury Read
Attack on Paper.
Menace Publishers Bring Many
Volumes to Court.
PRIEST DEFENDANTS WITNESS
Trial Nears CIOse-Arguments
This Afternoon.
Minister witnesses Prevented
From Expressing Opinions.

Joplin, Mo-, Jan. 13.-Closing argu-@
ments in the trial of the alleged pub
fishers of the Menace, a newspaper of
Aurora, Mo, were set to begin at the
federal court here today. The defend
ants in the trial are charged with send
ing obscene matter through the mails.
A discussion as to whether the en-
tire book bearing the title, THE pope
chief of white slavers high priest of
intrigue should be placed in the
hands of the jury occupied considera-
BILE time at the morning session of
court. Although many brilliant red
and gold bound volumes were offered
in order that each juror might have a
copy, an objection launched by the
governments attorneys was sustained,
the court ruling that only such parts
he had indicated as bearing upon one
of the charges in the case should be
placed in evidence. Although the
testimony of a dozen witnesses for the
defense was offered, comparatively
little evidence was allowed by the
court to be heard by the jurors. At
torneyS for the defense also offered
various objects, including a book of
poetry and a bottle of liquor, adding to
the great volume of exhibits previous
ly entered in the trial.
Defense Overruled.
Repeated objections of the prosecu-
ton were followed by a ruling from
these be admitted for evidence, the
only new entry allowed to the defense
| being the "Salutatory,' printed in an
issue of the Menace of 1911 over the
name of Theodore c. Walker, one of
the defendants, and designed to show
| the alleged character of the newspa-
per. 1t was read in court to the jury
and set forth that the publication did
not fight the Roman religion as a
means of salvation" 1t did take
issue with the alleged dominance"
sought by the heads of the organiza-
I ton of that religion.
| None of the defendants in the case
was called to the witness stand The
first witness was James M. Bandy, who
said he was Baptist minister and had
held pastorates in Missouri He testi-
fled he had read the articles in the
newspapers upon parts of which the
charges in the case are said to be
! based.
Did you find in any of the articles
anything that you would say was
obscene or indecent" he was asked by
J. 1. Sheppard, attorney for-the de-
| Tense. Objection was made by the
government and the court ruled the
4 question should not be answered.
Other witnesses said to the defense
to be ministers of various churches
I were offered for the purpose accord
/ ing to the defendants attorney, of
showing the character of the publica-
tons referred to in the Indictment of
the case. None of them were allowed
by the court to testify on the ground
that the question for the jury to deter
mine, the court said, was whether the
particular publications referred to in
the indictment were such as to con-
| stitute violations of the law if sent
through the mails.
Several witnesses from Aurora, said
to be merchants and we'll known citi-
zens, were excluded under similar
ruling.
The books were offered by the de-
tense during the testimony of Jere-
miah J. Crowley of Wheaton, Ill, who
said he was Catholic priest for q
years The books, he testified, were
printed in Latin and had been used in
Catholic schools