Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-15
FORD AWARDED
SIX CENTS IN
DAMAGE SUIT
Both Sides Claim Victory;
Ford's Lawyer Says Mon
ey Was Not Object.

Mount Clemens, Mich, Aug. 15.-A
jury tonight awarded Henry Ford six
cents damages against the Chicago
Tribune for calling him an anarchist.
Orvy' Hulett, foreman Of the jury,
said that they took nine ballots that
I can remember" The first one. &C
cording to Leonard Measel. another
juror, said that the first. ballot stood
eight to four in favor of awarding Mr..
Ford some damages.
Attorney Alfred j. Murphy, for Mr..
Ford. said:
'The- important, issue in this ase
has been determined favorably to the
plaintiff. He has been INDICATED.
Money damages were entirely sub
ordinate n were not sought by Mr..
Ford. He stands not only indicated.
but his attitude, as an American citi-
zer has beer justified after a trial
which raised every issue against him
which ingenuity and research could
present. His friends are entirely sat-
isfed.' :
Weymouth kirkland of counsel for
the Tribune said:
I'VE consider it a victory for the
reason that Attorney Alfred Lucking.
in closing for Mr.. Ford. stated that
ages would be a defeat for his client"
Mt. Clemens, Mich. Aug. 15.-It
was on June 80, 1916, after Mexican
bandits had raided Columbus, n. NJ,
and military preparedness was a
burning issue, not only because of the
Mexican menace, but because of the
Chicago Tribune printed its famous
editorial headed Ford Is an An
archist."
Editorial writers Of the Tribune
testified that they had followed Mr..
Ford's pacifistic propaganda. but had
not recognized it as a real danger to
the country until a news item was re-
ceived from Detroit that Mr.. Ford
was tarying to discourage the recruit
ing OF the guard which had been or
dered to the Rio Grande. The item,
authenticity of which was denied by
Ford witnesses. stated that the Ford
company would not pay the salaries
of employees who went to the border,
hold theic places for them. or care
for their dependents.
1t was then that the editorial was
written. 1t called Mr.. Ford an zig
norant idealist' and remarked that
his views on disarmament might be
different if his factories were on the
Rio Grande instead .of on the peace
full Canadian border.
Counsel for the manufacturer at
first filed suit in the federal court at
Chicago, but later withdrew it and
instituted proceedings in the state
court at Detroit. Here the Tribune
applied for a change Of venue, and
Judge James G. Tucker Of the circuit
court of Macomb county, at Mt.
Clemens. was agreed upon to hear
the case. Selection Of a jury began
May IL. 1t consisted of eleven farm
ers and one road builder.
A feature Of the case was the pro-
duction by the defendant Of more
than twenty witnesses from the Mexi-
ders and other acts which, to the
mind of Tribune counsel established
the fact hat there was a condition OF
anarchy along the border.
Professor Reeves of the University
of Michigan, appearing as an expert
testified that many of the Ford ut.
terances correspondent with the teach
ings of we'll recognized anarchists. He
gave definitions Of the word lamar.
chist' which contained no preference
to bomb-throwing, but which denoted
one who workssto o%verturn the gov
eminent. .
Counsel for the defendant argued
that government exists only so far az
it can enforce its DEGREES and protect
the lives and property of its citizens;
that without force there can be nc
government, and that where there is
no government there is anarchy.
Therefore they sought to establish
that in opposing the recruiting OF
soldiers Mr.. Ford opposed govern.
ment itself, and, by the same token
sought to establish anarchy.