The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-25
4Tp RERoRr ToPEKAS.
Man Who Bought Only One Bond Listed
as "Slacker,"

There is one man in Topeka who has
bought one fifty dollar liberty bond since
the declaration of war. This one bond
was bought after a prolonged siege on the
part of one of the strong arm committees
sent out to drive home the need for patri-
otism in the heart of the Stacker. The man
in question works in barber shop between
Sixth and Eighth streets on Kansas avenue.
He has a wife and two children. One of
the children has been working all summer
earning about ten dollars each week The
other child is in a state institution for the
deaf d, and n dumb The The man man ga earns Ms about
age. He has no less than 5000 invested
in building and loan stock. He gave one
dollar to the Red Cross.
This man-with many others like him
Is to be reported to Washington for his
attitude towards the war as evidenced by
his large and generous support to the war
and the war charities.
Similar articles were published all
over the country to aid in the loan
drives and in large number of cities
newspapers published the names of
persons who failed to subscribe. This
was done to insure success of the drive
and of the war.
In the article in which the Topeka
barber seeks to collect $4,000 dam
ages from Frank P. MacLennan no
name was given to the reporter who
wrote the story and Mr.. MacLennan
did not know to whom the article re-
ferred. The only motive the reporter
had in writing the story and the only
motive behind its publication by Mr..
MacLennan was that prompted by pa
triotism and a desire to insure Tope-
ka's full quota in the drive being sub
scribed. Pleasant relations had al
ways existed with the barber, Decker
who worked in the Hypes, or Anti
Septic shop under the Central Ma
/ tionaI bank.
! On October Il. the second busi-
ness day following the item, suit was
! filed in the district court in the name
/ of Decker, who asserted that he was
/ the party referred to and that the
| publication damaged him in business
and reputation to the extent of $780,
| 900. Until the time of the filing OF
| the suit Mr.. MacLennan did not know
| to whom the article referred.
/ However, shortly after the filing o1
| the suit, an article was printed in the
official labor paper of Topeka. the
| Trade Unionist. declaring that the ar
ticle was published because Mr.. Mac
! Lehman had it in for the BARRIERS
! because they did not advertise in the
Topeka State Journal.
This was the same charge the
Crawfords made in their libel suit jus
J ended in the same court last week.
The Trade Unionist, following th'
suit printed the following:
J Members of organized labor should ge
busy right now and appoint COMMITTEES
case comes before the courts to see tha
| it is not sidetracked and other means re
! sorted to SO ii may never have a hearing.
| The same paper had also printed. follow
| ing the suit a statement as follows: Th'
| barber will be able to secure the neces
!, sary funds to fight this case to a stand
! still. Every union man in the city of To
| peka stands ready to subscribe to sucl
| fund. The union men of Topeka should
| that is. as many as possible. make a hoH
day when the trial comes before the cour
| and show that they are interested. Severa
| business men told US Tuesday morning tha
| they could be depended upon to stand som,
| Of the expense of fighting this case"
| 1t is not known how much none,
| the Labor unions have raised and s,
| far as known il has not been an
nounced officially in Labor circles re
Gently that tomorrow will be a ho1i
day for the Unions to appear at tn
trial
Later: 5 2. m.-Judge Carver an
i nounces that on account of the tim
required to impanel a special jury. tn
case has been continued from tomor
row. Wednesday. TO the next day
Thursday