The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-08
Two Libel Suits Against State
journal Set for Next Week.
Plaintiffs Claim Aggregate of
$4,000 Damages.
THE FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN
Figures in One Case-PrOmi-
nent Witnesses for Defense.
Faction of Labor Unions and
C. of C. Concerned.


Next week will be a busy week for
the State Journal. Aside from large
amount of regular routine duty that
is involved in the conduct of a daily
newspa per, Frank P. MacLennan, edi-
tor and proprietor of the paper. is de-
fendant in two libel suits in the dis
trict court of this county set for trial
next week. One is called for Tuesday
the eleventh and the other for Thurs
day the thirteenth.
The first case is one brought by L.
NJ. and Roy era wford for $25. 900 DAM
ages growing out of an article printed
in the State Journal about three years
ago charging that the electrical wir-
| ing in the building and the balconies
and stairs at the exits of the Grand
| Opera house had been officially con-
| demEed by state and city authorities.
/ The article also charged a. dangerous
| wooden film box had been provided
/ for an afternoon performance.
| Following the exposure by the State
Journal a. metal film box was installed
and the performance delayed while
the wooden box was taken out and
the other substituted. The defective
wiring was replaced by better wiring;
! the balconies and stairs were repaired.
! The Crawfords. however. claimed
they had been damaged $25.000, al
| tho they have since offered to dismiss
the case for $1,000
The case is SO old that the public
has forgotten it. 1t has been contin-
ued from time to time by the Craw
words. Mr.. MacLennan has an
nounced, thru his attorney, E. D. Nc
Keever, from time to time as the case
/ came up that he was ready for trial,
excepting possible instance when his
attorney was compelled to be out of
| the city. Mr.. MacLennan is arranging
for his witnesses and is prepared to
defend himself on Tuesday.
The Other Case.
| The other case is suit ostensibly
! brought by a barber. but championed
/ by certain faction of the labor unions
| of the city of Topeka, if what the Of
ficial organ of the labor unions is said
| to have printed, is true, the labor
unions of the city being urged to con-
The official organ of the trade
unions published on November %,
1918, had this statement in regard to
the case:
Members of organized labor should
get busy right now and appoint COM
mittees who will be prepared when
this damage case comes before the
courts to see that it is not sidetracked
and other means resorted to SO it may
| never have a hearing"
| The same paper had also printed,
following the suit, statement as fol-
lows: The barber will be able to
secure the necessary funds to fight
this case to a standstill. Every union
man in the City of Topeka stands
ready to subscribe to such fund. The
union men of Topeka should; that is,
as many as@possible, make a holiday
when the trial comes before the court
and show that they are interested.
Several business men told us Tuesday
morning that they could be depended
upon to stand some of the expense of
fighting this CASE
/ The official organ of the labor
unions of Topeka is printed, published
or conducted by Charles Trapp, direc-
tor of the Chamber of Commerce, and
recent vice president; by J. o. Stevic.
member of Chamber of Commerce
and propagandist in Topeka of the
Nonpartisan League Gan organization
that Colonel Roosevelt warned the
country against in his last editorial
!; utterances); Frank Brown, labor
organizer.
These three men pose as labor rep
resentatives in the Topeka Chamber
| of Commerce. The papers published
| by these men have been distributed to
the members or for days have ap-
peared in sections on the club bulletin
board.
The article upon which the barber
, claims $4,000 DANA ges was instigated
i by committeeman under J. r. Bur
row, as county chairman. in charge OF
: the fourth liberty loan drive. At the
, time the article was printed Mr.. Mac
Lehman had no knowledge of the iden.
: tity of the barber in question, whom
the loan drivers claimed was Stacker
and asked the State Journal to prin
an item to that effect. The item sai6
! that the barber in question was in 6
shop between Sixth and Eighth street.
t on Kansas avenue and had not given
tho able, what the committee believed
he should give. There are many shop:
in that territory, at least three large
| ones. The next day or two after th'
: appearance of the article a barber il
the shop under Mr.. Burrows banl
filed a suit and claimed he was tn,
: barber referred to. This was the frs
information Mr.. MacLennan had o
the identity of the barber in question
= who happens to be old time friend
ly acquaintance of Mr.. MacLennan
l with whom Mr.. MacLennan never ha(
v any but the most pleasant relations
and against whom no unkind word hat
ever been spoken. He has shaved Mr.
MacLennan many times and was al
ways regarded by him as a very goot
citizen, industrious and competent an,
commanding the highest wages bar
, bers are paid. Mr.. MacLennan wa
I sui pI lSco dllCl suit was IOuSnl u
learn that the barber concerned wa
s not an active promoter of Red Cros
: and other drives
D. This case has national aspect an
t may be long drawn out and entail
. big bill of expense of costs for tn
Y | losing party.
: Documentary evidence in the shap
:. of letters and kilograms have alread
s been secured since the suit wa
: brought from William G. McAdoo. for
: mer secretary in charge of the Fourtl
s Liberty loan; c. L. Davidson, Wichita
i state chairman Liberty Loan commit
v tee: J. r. Burrow. chairman Shawne
e county Lihertv Loan committee: F. "
tCon.inued Or Page Two.I