The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-02-28
THE DUNN CASE.

w. F. Dunn, editor of the Butte Bull
letin, was preaching sedition and cal
ling for a revolution among the work.
ers. More than that Wheeler was
holding a job under the federal gov
eminent, sworn to prosecute such rev
olutionists and seditionists as Dunn.
But Wheeler took no notice of the
conduct of the Butte Bulletin nor it's
publishers. He was charged by
thousands of people in Montana with
being in actual sympathy with the
sort of socialists who were associat-
ed with Dunn.
Wheeler contended hat such things
as Dunn published did not constitute
sedition. He refused to prosecute,
or rather took no notice of the trouble
Dunn was attempting to make.
AS a result of his inaction, Wheel
er was compelled to resign. The
story in Washington is to the effect
that Wheeler never consented to re-
sign, but that the president of the
United States, being convinced that
Wheeler was not doing his duty and
had got in bad with the loyal people
of Montana, insisted on the attorney
general of the United States sending
up the name of another nominee. 1t
is said that Wheeler then submitted
to resignation to the attorney general,
who fixed up a nice sounding letter
to let Mr.. Wheeler down easy.
But regardless of the Washington
stories, it is known that Wheeler
would not prosecute Dunn, did not
consider he was guilty of sedition, and
as a result of these mistaken opinions,
Wheeler earned for himself the repu-
%tation of being anything but active in
the prosecution of seditionists and an
ti-war pr~opagandists and was forced
out of office.
When the county attorney Of Lewis
and Clark county brought action
against Dunn which Wheeler refused
to bring, Wheeler. suddenly appeared
as attorney for Dunn and attempted
to have him acquitted of the charge
of sedition.
Dunn was given a fair trial. Wheel
err was permitted to have a great deal
of liberty in defending his client and
friend, and Dunn himself was per-
mitted to talk to the jury. Wheeler
was perfectly satisfied with the jury
and opened the case feeling confident
that his client would be acquitted.
Probably the conduct of Dunn and
his attorney in the court room, was
the only possible thing which could be
!, said to prejudice any member of the
jury, if any member was prejudiced.
, Dunn shrugged his shoulders in dis
gust; laughed defiantly; read a news
} paper in the court room Gust to kill
time" as he told Judge Word. His
actions demonstrated that he had nc
: regard for the law nor respect TO,
the courts-he stamped himself by his
conduct as a law-breaker.
Mr.. Wheeler's conduct of the case
e was anything but favorable to his
client. He worked hard and with {
v sincerity and enthusiasm which show
ed he was heartily in sympathy will
a Dunn; that his interest was not mere
ly that of a paid attorney but a strug
gle was going on inside of Burton X
Wheeler, his heart was in his work
In this enthusiasm he defied the eth
# les of court practice and was con
stantly being called to order by tn
% judge.
It The statement of Mr.. Wheeler tina
,e Dunn was being prosecuted by TIL
J. Independent and its editor, was take
with a grain of salt by the jury. Dun
was not prosecuted by The Independ
20 ent any more than Wheeler was tn
Ia victim of this newspaper. The Inde
i pendent has insisted throughout tn
v war that public officials who did no
lr Nv oA>A AuAA NuCS, SLOulu DC remove
# from office; hat those who preache
sedition should be prosecuted; tina
aliens who did not go into the arm.
!, should be deported at the end of tn
war. If by this insistence on what thi
newspaper believes to be for the hes
interests of the country and state
Burton K. Wheeler finds himself on
of public office; Dunn convicted TO
q sedition and a number of Butte alien
e on the way to Russia, The Independ
: ent is willing to take whatever credi
a belongs to it for its good work.
Montana has been awakened. TIL
p young attorney of Lewis and Clarl
d county is not afraid to prosecut,
where there is evidence of crime ant
p he has been striking 100 per cent o,
" the right side. The people of thi.
d county are to be congratulated or