Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-26

The complaint or information filed
by City Attorney Brown declares that
in leading editorial published on last
Saturday. June %, Editor Matheson
criminally libeled the governor.
A clipping from the editorial page.
containing the editorial complained OF,
the name of the editor and the name
Of the paper above it, and the date
line at the top OF the page, are made
a part Of the complaint.
When asked for a statement at his
office this afternoon by the Star-Bul-
letin, Editor Matheson said he had
nothing then to say. Previous to that
time, he had been placed under arrest,
the warrant having been served on him
at IL O'Clock this morning by Deputy
Sheriff Julius Asch.
The offending editorial is entitled
Under What Flag" and is mainly
comment upon the governors proela.
nation to the school children calling
the meeting last Friday afternoon to
collect contributions for the Father.
less Children of France fund, and al
legged remarks made by the governor
on that occasion. In part the editorial
said:
Not once has he (the governorD
come out as an opponent Of Prussian
ism, as an enemy of the murderers Of
women and children or as a man who
speaks as an American governor
should speak these days.
IF our governor cannot talk Ike
a red-blooded American, why in He4,
VEINS name does he insist upon talk
ing at all? II he hasn't something to
say that is worth the breath it takes,
why does he butt in and take up the
time Of others with his childish bah
blings that smack almost Of pro-Ger'
manism?
The more the governor talks as he
did yesterday, the less our cause-th5
cause Of all free men and the cause
of those who believe in truth and
honor and fairness-will be served"
The editorial refers to the COVER
nor's call to the schoolchildren as a
"pusfllanimous proclamation"
Whole Editorial Cited
The complaint does not cite any
particular paragraphs Of the editorial
but includes the whole editorial in its
charge OF false, malicious and de-
famatory" and as containing divers
false, scandalous, malicious and de-
famatory matters concerning the Hon
oTable Lucius E. Pinkham."
The complaint in closing declares
that the libel was contrived to bring
the said Honorable Lucius e. Pink.
ham into disgrace, adherence, odium
hatred, contempt and ridicule."
AS evidence that the alleged libel
was actually circulated, there Is at
tached as part Of the papers an aft
dayit by Harry T. Lake, detective OF
the city attorneys office, showing thai
a copy of the paper containing the
editorial came into his hands and
was read by him
Text of Complaint
The complaint filed today is as fol-
lows:
To the Honorable w. H. Heen,
third Judge OF the Circuit Court OF the
First Judicial Circuit. Territory Of
Hawaii
The undersigned, Arthur NJ. Brown,
city and county attorney Of the city
and county Of Honolulu, in said terri.
tory and in said circuit. upon his Of
fetal oath, hereby respectfully gives
your honor and said circuit court to
understand and be informed as fol-
lows: -
That on and before and after and
particularly on the 23rd day Of June,
A. u. 1917, one Roderick o. MathesoR
Of Honolulu. city and county of Homo
lulu, territory of Hawaii, was the edis
tor Of newspaper known as The
Pacific Commercial Advertiser,