The Washington times., 1921-10-08
TWEEDALE
SUED FOR
ISLANDER
Haske Asks $50, 900 for Al
legged Libel in Brother-in-
Laws Letter..

Resenting alleged inferences by
Alonzo Tweedale, until yesterday
comptroller Of the Shipping Board,
that he had lived in Washington
with women other than his wife and
that he was a bootlegger, Francis
J. Haske. whose five-year-old son
Jack figured in q triple abduction
recently. today filed suit for $4,000
against Tweedale. IA !
( Slander In Charged. e,s. ..,-
Criminal libel ana Malicious slender
ID charged in the petition which was
filed in the District Supreme Court
through Attorneys Rosa r. Downing
George A. Berry and Marie Eehby.
Smith Haske asserts his good name
has been greatly injured and that he
has been brought into public scandal
and disgrace.
The entire suit centers around q
letter Tweedale is alleged to have writ
ten to Thomas J. higgins, an employe
of the Shipping Board in New York
city. Excerpts OF the letter. which
was written on March 4, 1920, are con-
on file in the local courts. 1t was filed
in connection with the divorce suit of
Mrs. Elsie Wall Haske against F. J.
Hasl<e.
The first portion Of the letter re-
ferred to in the petition follows:
"Haske, the father (meaning the
PLAINTIFF, purchased q watch In De-
troit on the installment plan, and
subsequently sold It without making
the payment therefor which nc
agreed to do, thus rendering him (the
PLAINTIFF subject to criminal prosccu-
ton"
The petition declares that that part
Of the letter intends Ito convey to the
public in general. and to the court. the
ideas and information that Haskc has
been guilty Of a crime"
Another portion follows:
''Haske, the father (meaning the
PLAINTIFF. while the wife's relatives
were paying the rent Of the apart
ment for the use Of the wife (mean-
ing the plaintiffs wife) in the De-
troit, on Meridian street, Washing
ton, d. c., and during the absence Of
the wife on visit to Washington
Grove, Nd, lived with other women
in this apartment, and likewise sub
sequently with other women in an
Otner apartment IN washington.
Called . LIAR"
In another portion Of the letter,
Tweedale is alleged to have repeated
a statement, said to have been made
by an official Of the Staten Island
Shipbuilding Company, to the effect
that Haske was q liar and worthless,
and intimating that he was engaged in
some shady transactions in New York.
Haske's petition declares this por.
ton of the letter Is meant to be un-
derstood that he Haske) was a liar
and a man without honor and not to
be trusted.
Another and last portion Of the let
ter referred to follows:
''Haske the father (meaning the
PLAINTIFF by the use OF his fathers
automobile for quite a period Of time
was engaged in violation Of law in
bringing liquor into the District Of
Columbia"
Haske conveys this part Of the let.
ter to mean that ne was a bootleeger
and was guilty OF bringing liquor
into Washington in violation Of
the law.
Both Haske and Tweedale came
into the public eye here recently in
a dispute over the custody Of Haske's
child. The case was temporarily
settled In the District Supreme
Court when Justice Hitz gave the
wife the custody OF the children.
permitting the husband to have the
boy one afternoon a week.