South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-16
TALBOT IS HELD
FOR ABUSE Of
MAILS Of j. s.
Owl Article Tending to Incite
Murder May Land Local
Man in Federal Prison
For Five Years.
Special Service:

News-Times Special Service
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 16.-John
w Talbot. supreme president of the
Order of Owls and editor of the Owl
magazine, was placed under arrest
by g United States deputy marshal
at his Office in South Bend today. on
federal grand jury indictments
charging misuse of the mails. Tai
bot was released on 81 900 bonds TO
appear before Judge Anderson in
the federal court here on arraign
ment day. Nov. 20.
Ten other indictments were placed
in the hands of the deputy marshal
upon leaving here, involving liquor
cases in South Bend. for transport
ing into the state and selling with
out government license. One war
rant. on Andrew Berkhart, was
served. He is now confined in the
st. Joseph county Jail
The indictment against Talbot
charges that in the issue of his
pamphlet of April 20, 1917, he pub
lished a statement tending 10 in
cite murder and sassination." The
article that resulted in the charge
was directed against five New York
state officials, whom local federal
officials say were connected with the
game commission i'm that state.
May Get Five Years.
The penalty prescribed by the fed
eral laws for the offense with which
Talbot is charged provides a maxi
mum fine Of $4,000, together with
Imprisonment in a federal prison for
not more than five years.
Five separate counts are included
I'm the indictment, one count each
charging the mailing of copies of
the pamphlet to Augustus II.
Houghton, George D. Pratt and Mar
shall Mclean at the state house in
Albany, while other counts charge
the mailing OF copies of the pamph-
| let to an unknown person and 10
several unknown persons.
on page three of the pamphlet of
the date named, the indictment sets
forth, the following language was
used:
Hang all traitors. Hang
George II. Ifdll liSL- men mans
or tar and feather in their
order, Alexander Mcdonald, Au-
gust S. Houghton and Marshall
Mclean. After thorough
horse whipping. tie up Level
lyn Legge by one toe and sand
paper him to death"
The charge is also made that the
| of the n, nj - af uvara ~ ",
| indecent character.
Government inspectors placed be-
fore the grand jury numerous other
issues Of Talbot's owl magazine, at
| lacking people who have offended
him, in Indianapolis, South Bend
and elsewhere, including Vice Pres't
Thomas r. Marshall. always running
| TO invective. scandal and much that
would tend 10 incite violence. Re
cent issues OF the magazine have
been largely given over TO attacks
| on Asst. Chief OF Police William
I Cassidy Of South Bend. going so far
as 10 insinuate that he may have
been an accessory. both before and
after the fact, in a South Bend MUIR
/ der case.
The cases of Pratt, Mcdonald,
/ Houghton. Mclean and Legge. how
ever, appears thought sufficient by
the grand jury. and the indictment
was confined 20 the attacks made
upon them. Talbot was incensed
against them over something that
concerns the killing OF migratory
birds but il is difficult TO make out
from the article exactly what the
trouble was, the article running
more particularly 10 inyective and
| threats.
Has CheCkcrcd Career.
Talbot has had a decidedly check
cred career Years ago he was one
/ OF the most promising lawyers in
northern Indiana, but about that
time became mixed up in some silk
robberies. was disbarred from prac-
tice. and barely escaped being sent
10 the penitentiary out OF the same
trial that brought about his disbarr-
ment Some time later a woman.
Mason 10y name, a South Bend wom-