Tombstone epitaph., 1920-03-21
NEWSPAPER MEN AND THE COURTS

A Chicago newspaper man has been sentenced to a term n the Cook county jail because he refused dis close grand jury the of a article He also assessed fine of S5OO The article ill question had to do with action of the grand jury. and these functionaricS set with grim determination ferret out the person who had spilled the beans The paper man attorneys obtained stay of sentence, and announced that tine would be fought finish We consider the point involved important papers Ill general that intend to carry this the highest court. they said
 should the courts decide 1t mandatory for this paper expose to the juyncn the identity of the person. persons. who ill confidence gave him the in formation the court desires trace down. crushing blow would he dealt to gatherers throughout the land It would cripple newspapers in cities of all sizes from New York to Douglas. In giving repre- sentative of paper. often find 1t necessary the newspaper man with information they could not give o the general public. There Is wlittcn law of mot for publication in force in every newspaper office in the nlted States, and any newspaper man who violates confidence rcpOSed i'll him not only loses the respect of the informant be belayS but he loses his usefulness with the paper with which he is coincctcd-lle breaks rule of ethics lawyer does whose actions the bar sociation to close the door of practice to him.
 There officials and public who too short sighted to share confidence with newspaper man and these the who generally get themselves i'll embarrassing positions About year and half ago there striking instance of this right here in Douglas When seals his lips to newsgatherers they set out to get the facts best they and 1t that every scrap of information that comes to them Is given pubic y. They fully able dig up what has taken place what is to take place anyone else and they rarely fail to miss the details-it is their business.
 This Chicago newspaper man is not unlike others ill
 his profession and the decrees of the court will not shake him from his purpose He will not be the first journalist to go to jail in defense of principle and probably will not be the last.
 About ten years ago reporter interviewed an ac- cused murderer in New York city jail The appearance of the reporter his dress and caused the prison CT to mistake him for priest and, under this impress sion, he made complete confession of the crime. When the to court there insufficient evidence give the extreme penalty to the accused man. and he ceived lighter sentence than he deserved. He died sometime aferward, while still in prisOn and after his death the reporter made the confession public There are many who would condemn the newspaper man for withholding the knowledge that strangely him but his conscience had q,alms.
 No real newspaper will publish anything tOlG
 him strict confidence and with admOnton that 1t lis not for publication When the courts set force the revelation of they hammering against concrete wall with bare fists They cannot des troy precedent old the newspaper business and sacred confessors trust with who in absolute faith pours out the burning secret of his souDougas Dispatch.