Weekly journal-miner., 1917-03-14
H0UGAN'S SAGA LEADS ID HIS
 FREEDOM
HABEAS CORPUS WRIT IS ISSUED WHEN OLDEST HEARING MOVES COURT TO SYMPATHY AND THE MOST KINDLY MIRTH.
(From Saturdays Daily)


 fishing a case so touching both to the sympathy and the humor of his audit ors that he was the only witness really needed in his own behalf, C. Oliver Hougan, miner, stcam-httcr, all-around mechanic, eX-rancher, stu dent of commercial and corporation law, and man with rating in Brad streets in Salt Lake City, won his way to freedom yesterday.
 Hougan's naive story was worthy of O. Henry Irwin s. Cobb and w. w. Jacobs, collaborating. No less distinguished humorists could do jus tice to it. Yet, his relation of events that led to his incarceration aroused SO much sympathy that Judge Smith in granting his release on writ of habcas corpus declared: Tt is very evident you have suffered outrageous treatment at the hands of the justice court"
 The description of the so-callcd preliminary hearing in Justice of the Peace A. K. Lees court at Humboldt, kept everybody in the court room, not excepting his honor, in a con tinual burst of laughter According to his narrative and his judge, the proceedings before Lee must have been strikingly like those described as of the jayest of J. P's. The taowr cunstabule with the familiar weather beaten countenance and chin whisker of the caricatures, had nothing on this court of first resort.
 Interspersing his story with obser- vations on the matcrialistic conccp- tions of the I. w. W. and with as- tonishingly correct technical terms of the law, Hougan said that he had been employed at the Humboldt sInclter as a steam-ftter Under him was hired a man named Webster, an evident subscriber to the outcast doc trincs of the Industrial Workers Of the World. Webster had proven un- satisfactory, and Hougan had him transferred. Later, Webster was fired He apparently took a deep grouch against Hougan, for he met him on the street that afternoon and pro- cceded without any verbal preface, to swing heavily on Hougan's eye. He brandished a short iron club and made motions as though to reduce his former co-workcr to exceedingly fine hash. Hougan then proved that his name was not Hogan and that his ancestry were Morse, not Irish. He avoided Webster'S assaults, dodged the iron bar, two bricks and other miscellaneous items, and entered the restaurant, where he customarily took his meals. At ths caravansary, he kept an unloadcd siX-shootcr. As Webster had drawn copious blood, and seemed to thirst for moro, Hou gan got his hip-pockct howitzcr, load cd it, wrapped it in his ovcralls, and Sallicd forth to seek either an officer of the law or the safety of his own room.
 He entered the pool room Of Adolph Samlcr, in the rear of which 1.o I;,.oJ -,,J eo.E.o,.oJ Q, tr,,i,- tor rifying tablcau There stood Web stcr with each hand loaded with cob blc-stoncS, and his rear and both Hanks supported by about 50 rcd faggcrs. Hougan rctrcated, as many a descendant of even the stout Nik- ings might have retrcated. His re- treat was followed by a cloud or missiles. Desperate, but not in the least worked up to killing ragC, IIougan shot hole in the place where the pavement would be, il Humboldt had pavement. This dcm- onstration in force certainly fright encd but did not awe Webster, who lcapcd on IIougan's back. Hougan held the gun with both hands, and shouted for Samlcr to come get it, that I~c didn't want to kill anybody. SamIcr advanced to do so, but two of the mob, one being an organizer and the other a propagandist for the l. W. w., according 10 Hougan, rush cd in and grabbed the eat.
 IIougan then hammcr-lockcd Web stcr 10 the ground and held hinl- be- ing d powerful man, albeit triilc weak from recent illness. All the time, he was fearing a Stot from one of the mob, which closely surrounded the scene. Finally. however, he dis engaged himself aud went. seeking an officer. After some time, he ran across the constable, who, on hearing his story, decided he was under arrest