Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-14
HAMILTON ON !
STAND IN TRIAL
OF DAN DRoST
Examinations in Trial 81 Dan
Drost Reveal More About
Publishing Of Article.

Drost Reveal More About
Publishing Of Article.
Important new alleged facts
about the publishing Of the Rock
Island News. and especially the
printing Of the High Jinks" article
for which Dan Drost and Harry M.
Hamilton were indicted and Jailed
. year ago as It's publishers, were
disclosed or limited at in the exam
inAtion Of Hamilton at the district
court in Davenport yesterday.
Hamilton was put on the stand
by the prosecution and uncovered
some Of the inside workings o. the
ONCE after the defense III the libel
suit against Publisher Drost had
made m effort to sho~ that some
one else than Drost 10 the head of
the paper now under fire for the
High links" article which precipi-
tated the present legal storm
against the paper.
Through the gathering Of legal
clouds today and yesterday the de-
Tense. saw the whirlwind accumu-
late force from the sowings Of the
wind.
Hamilton created sense ton by
testifying that Drost tried to get
him to put up q Job ON the girls
but he refused to be q party to the
scheme.
After his arrest Hamilton was
out for time on bonds. He testi-
ned yesterday that Drost, tried to
have him put up q Job on the Rus
sell and Hansen girl so that Ham
1lton could testify against them.
Il refused to be q party to the
game" Hamilton declared. II
would not perjure myself"
Attempt Fails.
Attorney Allen who conducted
the defense tried 70 show through
Hamilton. star witness for the
prosecution, that some one besides
Drost was the responsible head of
the editorial department. This
proved q failure although every
inch Of ground was bitterly con-
tested on both sides.
Hamilton denied that he had any
thing to do, with the article against
the Curtis family and in which the
character Of Alice Russell and
Edna Hansen was impugned. He
admitted making some corrections
in the article and giving Henry
Davidson, the alleged author, d.
rections how the paper wanted It
written. HaYilton said that he was
employed by the paper as editor
and investigator. He looked up
articles sent to the paper by mail
to see II there was any truth to
them.
"Did you know Myron Jordon!"
Hamilton was asked by Attorney
Il don't know him. I never saw
him." was the reply.
didn't Drost tell you, that he
was the editor Of the paper?"
mo-" was the reply. "Drost
told me he was q dirty - =
and that he let him 60 because he
was no good. I took, his place."
Allen-"Didn't you get your Or
ders from Drost through Jordon?''
mo sir. Drost told me he fired
Jordon because he was no good.
Isn't 1t . fact that you wrote
the High links article?"
mo, sir"
"You corrected It, didn't you!"
Corrected Jointly.
II and Estes corrected 1t togeth-
or. Estes took it down to Cald-
we'll, the printer. Caldwell was
dimcult to get along with. Neither
( Drost nor myself got along with
him very we'll. Estes jollied him
up and was sort Of go-between fol
Drost and myself when we had
CODY for Caldwell. He did some Of
the editing" =.
Didn't you submit the article to
Harry McCaskrin, attorney for the
paper and didn't he advise you not
to publiah it?", asked Attorney
Allen.
mo, sir. I was not aware that
McCaskrin was attorney for the
paper or had anything to do with
it. / did not know McCaskrins
Drost told me to run the article.
He made . disparaging remark
about the girls and told me to run
the article.
Let her co." was what Drost
said.
AT the time of your trial did
you not testify that you did not
know who wrote the article?" Ham
ilton was asked.
II must have been lying II I did"
was the reply. !
Didn't you know that Myron
Jordon was the editor of the pa
peri"
Claims Drost Was Editor.
"Jordon was not the editor Of the
paper. He was not there when !
was there. / never saw him. Drost
was the whole thing"
Il Earlier in the afternoon, Vel
more r. Flatters, printer, testi-
fed that upon one occasion Drost
paid him his wages and that upon
another occasion DR.. w. A. Bena-
dom paid him.
J Hamilton had written a letter to
Chief Of Police Cox of Rock Island
to the effect that the Rock Island
News had not been square with
him and that he would support the
paper II he was recompensed fol
lying in Jail for q crime Of which
he was not guilty.. This letter, hi
testified was turned over to Looney
Hamilton denied the statement
that Dan Drost could not read mol
write As one witness had testified.
"He could write his name Ger.
tainly and he frequently read the