Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-29
Attention Of Judge Redick Is Called
By Editor of Bee to Other Contemptuous
Newspaper Publications, AS HeSuggested

At the opening of court yesterda
morning Victor Rosewater presen
ed the following communication
Judge w. A. Redick:
'OQlaha, Nov. 2S, 1870 Hon
orable w. A. Redick, Judge of the
District Court of Douglas County
On behalf of myself and The Bee
Publishing company, and also on
behalf of the public and all who
believe in equality before the
law" and that justice should be
administered to all alike impair
tally and without favor, | respect
fully call your attention to four
newspaper publications, which, &C
cording to the recent ruling of
your honor are clearly "contempts
of court" and should be dealt with
as such.
The publications referred to are
as follows: A World-H Herald pub
LEGATION of. November Z; a publ
cation in the Daily News of the
same date. and a publication by
John w. Towle, foreman of the
late grand jury, November II, in
both the Daily News and World
Herald.
Publications Attached.
For the information of the court,
attach said publications, marked
respectively, Exhibits ], 2, 3 and 4.
As will be observed, the World
Herald publication of November
7, which was two days before the
alleged contemptuous publication
in The Bee, makes direct refer
ence to the then pending case of
the State against ]. Harry Moore,
who it charges had been active
in The Bees campaign against
the city administration and had
been indicted on the charge of
conspiracy to commit arson. 1t
proceeds to state what was set
forth in the indictment and also
the evidence which it claimed
was given before the grand jury
upon which the indictment was
based, as follows;
Evidence on which the indict-
ment is based recited that Moore,
in company with others, went
from the court house TO a gar
age at Seventeenth and Daven-
port streets and filled two big
cans with gasoline, Moore hold
ing the nozzle of the filling
tank. 1t was alleged further that
Moore assisted in carrying the
cans full of gasoline back to the
court house"
The article then proceeded to
state that Thorpe and Morris,
who were serving 90-day sem
fences in the county Jail, when
confronted by Moore in the grand
jury room, identified him, and de-
clared they could not be mis-
taken in their identification.
Quotes Statement.
Then follows this most preju
dicial statement:
Moore was the author of many
IF a series of sensational ar
.icles attacking the city admins
tration and particularly Police
Commissioner Ringer, which
nave appeared in The Bee from
time to time. Numerous spreads
and dark ina ginings,
with crude plots and vicious
charges yelled in them, have been
to him"
1t will further be observed that
hese publications in the World
Herald and Daily News not only
we're two days in advance of The
See publication, but were direct
tack on The Bee as we'll as its
eporter. which prompted and jus
fled the publication of The Bee
rticle. Is it possible that The
Zee and its reporter charged with
rime must remain silent for
'eeks, months and perhaps for
ears while unbridled license is
lowed to other. newspapers to
ublish anything and everything
rejudicial to The Bee and its ac-
used reporter?
| submit to the court whether
is any less an offense or less an
Interference with the proceedings
l pending cause for a news
aper to publish statements i'm
eriling the liberty of a person
ccused of crime than it would be
, make publication of frame
p" by the police department of
1e city of Omaha.
Is it an offense to make publica-
on of the truth in behalf of an
ccused person and not an offense
, destroy and take away in ad-
ance the> defense of the accused
nd regardless of the truth create
prejudice against him which
ould bring about his conviction
ithout regard to his guilt or in
ocence? Would this be holding
lie scales of justice at an even