The Washington herald., 1920-11-02
SUIT FOLLOWS
HARDING 'SLUR'
Author of Letter About Ne
gro Ancestry Asks $780,
900 Of Dayton Paper.
DENIES RETRACTION
Chancellor, Former School
Head Here, Called Will
fer In Reply.

Dayton, Ohio, Nov. IA libel suit
asking 100000 damages was fled
In the MONTGOMERY County Common
Pleas Court here today against the
Burkham- Company, pub
fishers Of the Dayton Journal, by
Prof. william Estabrook Chancellor,
formerly Of wooster College, Woos-
ter, Ohio, alleged author Of AN
open letter" relative to the geneal-
ogy Of Senator Warren G. Harding.
Chancellor alleged that the Day
ton Journal had libeled him by
printing a statement claiming that
he had retracted a statement made
in the open letter" which was
included as Exhibit A of the court
papers.
Declares Statements False.
The pIaintin says that statements
Of the defendant are false and were
known by defendant to be false,
ana that the plaintiff never modi-
ned or retracted his statement as
given IN Exhibit A
His petition read: Plaintiff says
that he is a citizen of the United
States: a resident of the city of
Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio. an
educator by profession and a writer
on historical and scientific subjects,
among which are Our Presidents
and Their once and The Race
Question and that he has occupied
a number Of positions in his pro-
fession as educator. notably that OF
SUPERINTENDENT Of schools of Wash
ington, D. c.
Facts Important to Public.
Plaintiff says his high concep-
ton Of his duty as a voter and
citizen, as well as a desire to eX-
tend his work. Our Presidents and
Their Office induced him to spend
twenty-one days in personal inves-
tigation Of the family history of
Warren G. Harding, subsequent to
his nomination for the Presidency
at Chicago. As a result he learned
from the best available data mat
ters which he deemed of the high
est Importance to the voters.
Plaintiff says that upon casual
distribution Of his information in
quiries forced him to prepare an
open letter stating his findings with
HIS personal attitude relative to the
candidacy of Warren G. Harding.
says Letters Were Requested.
Plaintiff says he distributed an
open letter only upon personal re-
quest and from those who inquired
concerning his investigation into
the family history Of Warren C.
Harding was one purporting to
speak for the Dayton Journal. the
na Nv
"Plaintitr further says that on
October 80 the defendant falsely
and maliciously published of and
concerning the plaintiff, in the form
of a statement by one l. B. West.
sales manager Of the Dayton Steel
Foundry Company. in the words
following-that is to say, L then
asked him Cthis plaintiff in particu-
lar) II he knew anything about
Senator Harding's pedigree. and he
replied emphatically and positively
that he knew nothing whatever
about it.
Again, a few line sfsrther on.
the following words. viz: AS TO the
Harding ancestry I hereby certify
that I am in no way responsible
for. never wrote, never authorized
TO write and know nothing what
ever about the circular bearing my
name or any other paper that bears
my signature"
Chancellor then offers an affidavit
TO prove he signed the open let
ter
@Vilihers- Denounced.
In a statement on the suit the
Dayton Journal said in its afternoon
edition:
Degraded cabal that made vile
war against the women Of Warren
G.. Harding's family, who hurled
their poison shafts at the fireside Of
the Republican nominee for Prcsi-
dent, have played their last desper-
ate card.
"As the Democratic State commit
tee predicted Sunday night, suit has
been fled in the name Of Prof.
Chancellor against the Dayton Jour
nal because that newspaper printed
the signed denial Of Chancellor thai
he did not make the vile statement.
This signed statement of Chan
cellor is reprinted on this page. II
he repudiates it at this eleventh
hour who induced him to do it? That
is for the people to Judge.
The vilifers have confessed their
shame, they glory in it and the next
minute bring suit against the Jour
nal TO spread their vile attack"
Reading, Pa, Nov. Harvey L.
Bausher, a clerk in the quarter ses-
stons court here, was held in $4,000
bail today on a charge Of libel in
connection with the circulation of a
docuraur which naSF n -aaoz.sz