Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-03-16
INCORRECT REPORTS
GRIEVOUS OFFENCE
Facts are Always Available and
Never Should be Made
Sensational

The article in the Caledonian-Re-
cord relative to Judge Wilson's ex-
cusing the lady jurors was so in
accurate and misleading that Judge
Wilson called the reporter to the bar,
and the following Interrogation and
reprimand took place:
Perley S. Hill, reporter for the
Caledonian-Record, called to the rail
Of the bar by the Court.
Court: Mr.. Hill, did you write the
article in the Caledonian relating to
court In yesterdays paper (Thurs-
days,) March 1O.)
A. Yes, sir.
Q Was it published the way you
wrote it? A Yes, sir.
q Were you in court when the
matters there referred to occurred?
A Yes, sir.
@ Do you claim that the matters
occurred as there related?
A | believe SO, yes, sir.
y do you claim that your report
OF what was said to the women jurors
is accurate? A To the best Of my
knowledge, yes, sir.
q: Well, is it accurate? A To
the best Of my knowledge, sir, it is.
Q Did you attempt to get from the
stenographic reporter what was said?
A No, sir, didn't.
y DO you say that these women
a1ter tney were excused as jurors
"strutted" into this room out here
A Yes, sir.
Q You say that is the truth? A
Why, think so, yes, sir.
Q Do you say that they were in
furiated at that time? =
A l don't see why am obliged to
answer these questions, your Honor.
Q You don't-do you want to know
why? A Yes, sir, I would. :
Q 1t is very grievous offence, and
punishable-it can be-by a fine or
Imprisonment, to report Incorrectly
the occurrences in a court of justice.
The facts are always available ex-
cept in some instances where the good
of the community commands other
wise. The facts are always available
and correct reports are always prop
er; but incorrect reports are highly
improper and are punishable as con-
tempt of Court. Is that a sufficient
answer so you understand?
A Yes; sir.
Q Do you say that these women
who were excused as jurors went into
this adjoining room and poured their
maledictions upon the head of Mr..
Cushman the County Clerk?
A Do l now say that, sir?
@ Yes, is that true? A Why, if
the Court please, that was not writ
ten to cast any reflection upon the
Court in any way.
@ lam not asking you what your
purpose was, was it rue?
A Why, believe they did criticize
somewhat.
Q Did they pour their maledic-
tions on the head of Mr.. Cushman?
A I believe it said they began to,
something of that effect, think they
did, sir. @'
@ And you now think that you
gave a correct report of the conduct
of these ladies, do you?
A Why, Iftried to do the best of
my knowledge, sir.
@ Didn't you instead of trying to
put that accurately, try to color that
article so that it would be sensation
al, and didn't you attempt to make
those women ridiculous, appear ridic-
ulous through your report? A
didn't wish to do that, no, sir.
Q AS you have since read that
article. have you realized the inferen-
ces which you made there and the
statements which you made as to those
women-what the effect of them would
be?
A Yes, sir, think have.
. Do you realize now that whether
you intended it originally or not, that
that article reflects extremely upon
these ladies?
A May be it could be construed
that way, but it wasn't intended that
way.
@ Well, isn't it correctly con-
structed that way, as it reads?
A Yes, sir, it can be.
@ Have you sent out to other
papers similar reports?
A No, sir, not similar reports.
Q Well, along the same general
lines, the Boston American?
A No, sir.
Q What other papers? A Bos-
ton Globe.
@ Do you now regret that you
caused to be published such an ar
ticle?
A Yes, sir, if it has caused any
one any hard feelings or if it has cast
any reflection on the Court, am
sorry.
@ The Court will take care of it.
self, you needn'e worry about the
Court. But do you regret that you
have published or cause to be pub
lished an article which has reflected
on the women of this county?
A Yes, sir, if it has offended I am
sorry.
@ Don't you think that that has
reflected on the women of the coun-
ty, especially these women who were
here?
A In some cases, sir, 1 don't think
they understood it that way from my
talks with them.
(Mr. Cushman, the county clerk,
Intercepted by the Court
@ Did these women pour maledic-
lions on your head when you went
out there? A I didn't understand it
that way, no, sir. The ladies were very
earnest In some remarks they made,
but l didn't take it in any serious way.
(The Court resuming his remarks
to Mr.. Hill.)
Well, Mr.. Hill, we regret exceed
ingly this article was published as it
was published. The individual men,
bers OF the Court are not sensitive;
we don't care particularly about such
matters, but we feel that the report
n n yhnI IN