Denver labor bulletin., 1917-08-18
BOULDER DISTRICT COURT BY THE BULLETIN EDITOR
AGAINST JAMES F. MORAN FOR $4,000 LIBEL DAMAGES

A(IAlNSl JAMEN i. MUHAN
AS announced in last weeks issue of The
Bulletin suit has been filed in the district court
at Boulder by Clint c. Houston, editor of this
paper, against James F. Moran, acting president
of District IS, United Mine Workers of
America, demanding damages in the sum OF
$4,000 for falsifyng evidence, slander and libel.
This case grows out of act committed by
Moran during a speech against seating Houston
as delegate from Denver Typographical Union
No. 49, in the State Federation of Labor con-
venton, held in Boulder last week, when Moran
read anonymous letters attacking Houston and
exhibited photographs of alleged checks purport-
ing to show that the editor being paid by
the Colorado Fuel and Iron company for de-
Tending John R. Lawson against a scheme to
oust him from the organized labor movement OF
Colorado, and exposing the underhand methods
adopted for this purpose by Moran, John Nc
Lehman and Warren E. Pippin.
Following is the full text of the complaint
filed by Houston thru his attorneys, Rim &
Archibald of Boulder:
STATE OF COLORADO,
County of Boulder.-ss.
IN THE DISTRICT COURT, NO..
CLINT c. HOUSTON, Plaintiff,
JAMES F. MORAN Defendant.
COMPLAINT
Comes now said plaintiff, by his attorneys,
Rim & Archibald, and complaining of said de-
fendant, for cause of action alleges:
l.
That this plaintiff is citizen and resident of
the State of Colorado, and on August 8, 1917,
and long prior thereto, was and now is the editor
and co-owner of The Denver Labor Bulletin,
thru which business plaintiff gains his livelihood,
a weekly newspaper OF general and extensive
circulation thruout Colorado, Wyoming and else
where, being devoted to the interests and welfare
of organized labor. the various crafts and the
working class of people, generally patronized
and supported (morally and financially by such
working class and organizations, enjoying their
confidence, and being the official paper for the
Colorado State Federation of Labor and the
Denver Trades and Labor Assembly.
II.
That August 8, 1917, at Boulder, Boulder
County. Colorado. the said defendant. James F.
Moran. did, with intent to injure plaintiff in his
good name, fame and credit and his said news
paper trade and business, falsely, unlawfully,
wilfully, wickedly and malicously charge, state
and publicly utter and publish. before the said
Colorado State Federation of Labor and its
numerous delegates, then and there in conven-
ton assembled, and to and before the public in
general (sad convention being open to and then
generally attended by the public and representa-
tives of the press), and in the hearing of divers
persons of and concerning this plaintiff and
which understood by said hearers and
public to directly refer to plaintiff, in substance,
that said defendant would prove that this plain
tiff had wrongfully taken money from the Colo
rado Fuel and iron company, corporation
refusing recognize or deal with organized
labor, (meanng and intending thereby and so
understood by his hearers and the public to mean.
that plaintiff had accepted bribe, had betrayed
organized labor and corruptly taken money from
of its opponents the price of such BETRAYAL,
to so corrupt the policy of said official newspaper
of labor and to betray and injure organized labor
by selling out" to said corporation and interests
opposed to organized labor), and further then
and there charging and stating, as aforesaid,
n substance that plaintiH and said
in the wrongful and concealed pay of said
coal company, to the detriment of the working
classes, that plaintiff and said newspaper were
guilty of unlawfuly and feloniously accepting
bribe and guilty of the felony of bribery by taking
money and checks from said coal company and
its representative. one ]. F. Welborn, for said
unlawful purposes; and had betrayed organized
labor for and thru concealed corrupt and I'M
lawful brbe and transaction Opposed to bus-
ness and moral ethics) in the course of publishing