The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-06
STARS LIBEL SUIT

So many of the Stars country
friends have asked it, in the last few
days, about the libel suit it has on its
hands, that we think it will not be out
of place to give brief account Of the
events leading up to it.
Some months ago, man named
Cash came to town and applied for a
position as a special officer on the
police force, and was given job with
view of his breaking up some of the
blind tigers around town.
In this work Cash, being a stranger,
had some success. He made the ar
rest and obtained the conviction of
couple of negroes who were selling
liquor illegally. By this time he be-
came known, and his usefulness as
detective was over.
He was however appointed on the
force to fill the place of one of the
regular men who went on a vacation.
While he was in this position, he dis
tinguished himself by his zeal in max
ing arrests.
1t seemed to the Star, however, that
Cash was running in offenders more
with view to making a record and
perhaps swelling the fine and for
feiture fund than promoting the cause
of justice. Some of the people he
hauled up in court were law abiding
citizens who broke a new ordinance
simply because they did not know they
were offending.
This is not the Stars idea of a
policeman's duties. 1t thinks that a
respectable person who breaks one OF
our multifarious city laws thru ig-
norance, and by said breaking does no
real harm, should be enlightened and
warned by any policeman who sees the
occurrence. Then If he persists in
breaking the law it is time to arrest
him.
We had in this city some years ago
a policeman who in addition to being
oyer-zealous in making arrests was a
good deal of bully. He arrested
everybody he could make a complaint
against, and manhandled some of
them. He gave the town a bad name,
and not only our country people but
travelling men who came in here from
points hundreds of miles off, began to
be shy of Ocala.
Not wanting repetition of the ex-
perience, the Star criticised the acts of
Special Officer Cash. 1t is possible
that the criticism had something to do
with the decision of the council to re-
fuse to appoint him to a regular po-
sition on the force, tho the members
of the police committee said they had
other reasons sufficient to cause them
to refuse his application.
At any rate he was rejected, and a
week or ten days later he brought suit
against the Star for libel.
Now, there is very good reason for
believing that the libel suit is a put
up job. There are some people in
Ocala who do not like the Star, be-
cause it is independent, often crit
icises their actions and sometimes
spoils their plans. One reason why it
is believed that Cash is being used as
a catspaw is that he was overheard
talking with certain prominent citi-
zen about the suit; another is that he
paid his lawyer, Judge Gober, in adj
vance, although it is well known that
Mr.. Cash, who is poor man, was
having all he could do to support his
family without going into an expen-
sive lawsuit. There are other reasons,
which will come out at the trial
The Star hasn't any personal i'll
will against Cash. 1t would be glad
to help him if it could. In fact, the
editor, hearing a day or two after his
application for place on the police
force was turned down, that Cash was
going to start a pressing club, offered
to give him free write up as soon as
his place of business was decided on.
But the Star thinks policemen should
help and protect the people, not har-
rass them, and as long as it is under
the present management it will con-
tinue to express that opinion, if it
costs it fifty libel suits.