Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-19
Attorney for Manufacturer OBJ
jectS to Tribune Lawyers S
Method Of Questioning His
Client,
HEADLINE OF EDITORIAL
GAVE THE 0FFENSE
Doesn't Read Much and ADJ
mitS ignorance of Most
Things; Says StevenSon'S
Questions Are Fair.
Isr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wrsEl

AlthOuSh Henry fOfu tCuay COM
pleted a week on the witness stand in
his libel suit against the Chicago
Daily Tribune, Elliott G.. Stevenson
for the defendant. who began ques-
tioning him last Monday, showed no
signs of reaching a conclusion.
The questioning of the witness on
| the contents of the alleged libelous
| editorial in the Tribune on June 23,
| 1919, Ford Is an Anarchist" was the
! important feature of the day, Alfred
| Lucking, senior counsel for the plain
] tiff, characterized the examination as
| brutal" and the witness, pressed to
admit the editorial charge of being
| an ignorant idealist" and reminded
that on previous occasions he had
admitted it. remarked:
you are a good enough lawyer to
get me to say this or that but it would
not be in my mind"
Haven't tried to be fair with you,
Mr.. Ford
absolutely"
'T have not tried to mislead you "
"No, sir"
1t was here that Mr.. Lueking made
| his charge of brutality. adding:
"You take a modest witness, Mr.,
| Stevenson, and try to pound him into
saying that he is an ignorant idealist,
1t seems to me that this should be
left to argument"
Ford's Tones low.
"Have / been pounding you. Mr.,
| Ford?" asked Mr.. Stevenson: "Mr.
Lucking is talking through his hat,
isn't he?"
"He is talking as though you may
was the way the stenographer caught
the reply OF Mr.. Ford, who speaks in
so low and muffled a tone that his
own lawyers rarely hear him.
In taking up the editorial, Mr.,
Stevenson said:
what is the office of the headline
of an editorial, Mr.. Ford?"
II don't know what you have ref
erence to-"
Mr.. Stevenson explained headline
suggests what is in the body of the
article under it, and reminded the
witness that in previous testimony he
had defined an anarchist as bomb
thrower, or one who seeks to over
turn government.
/ What was said in the editorial
Iabout bomb throwing. Mr. FordP'
Nothing that l know of. only In
the headline"
The lawyer then began reading the
editorial,
Mr. Stevenson had asked Mr. Ford
to stop him If he came to anything
about bomb throwning or overturnlne
the government and after reading
about seventy-five words reminded
the witness that he had not been
stopped.
"You have read the headline. Mr.
Stevenson"
Eyes, Mr.. Ford"
"Well, you can stop right there
"The headline. Mr.. Ford, you said
was to indicate what was in the ar
ticle. am reading the article so yoL
can compare it with the headline; Yot
don't find anything about bomt
throwing or overturning the govern
ment?"
"Only in the headline"
The lawyer continued to read the
editorial, making after each para
graph the same inquiry and receiving
the same negative reply.
Mr. Ford said to Mr.. Stevenson:
Reads Headlines Only.
"I will give you a little explanation
of the way / feel. I. myself, very
seldom read anything else except the
headlines of any article. That is one
OF the objects of this case. to try anC
have people stick to the truth little
more behind their headlines
Mr.. stevenson made another at.
tempt to get the witnesses to confess
that he was an ignorant man. as the
LAWYER said was shown by his inabll-
ity to answer questions concerning
cardinal points of American history
the army and navy and similar mat
ters, Mr.. Ford turned to the judge
Does he want me to say that
don't know anything about govern
ment?'
The court remained silent and Mr.
stevenson continued:
'I have asked you a number OF
questions, and ! do not want to press
YOU as to whether you are we'll in
formed man, competent to educate
the public, or an ignorant man. who
ought to undertake to educate the
people, but in view of what you have
said, you would not question tha
ignorant is praper Characterization
of you?"
Mr.. Lucking jumped to his feet ant
: said;
"That is objected to as brutal ant
inhuman."
Mr.. Ford ignored this and re.
marked:
"As I said Mr. Stevenson, l an
, ignorant of most things"
In one comment on the editoria
lContnusd on pase rwo.J