Arizona republican., 1922-01-03
A Border Fsud


The peace at Douglas on official Christmas to-
wit: Monday. December 26 was ruthessly shattered
by fight in the prison yard of the city hall between
newspaper reporter, and two brothers of the city
magistrate w. C. Jacks, chaperoned by Judge Jacks
himself who aided and abetted his brothers as they
fought the reporter in pairs and relays. enjoinng
them with profanity to bite him, kick him, punch his
mug pull his hair and otherwise maltreat him, all
OF which then and there done.
The fracas seems to have had its inception in
remarks the reporter is said to have made
cathedra regarding the recent Kidnapping of Judge
Jacks at Nogaes, being the reporters theory that
the kidnapping only "albf' to mask a too
intimate and prolonged relation with booze, which,
have been informed from ,her sources. is easily
accessible at Nogaes.
But we less concerned in the scrap than in
the treatment of it by the Douglas International,
which spent three days in accommodating the facts
with relation to It, to the end that there might be
precipitate hasty journalistic expression,
any show OF partiality. The reporter, by the way,
was of opposition but friendly paper.
Including the seven-coumn "screamer" and
seven-coumn sub-head, a couple OF boxes and the
leads OF three statements. all carried over fully half
the first page is devoted to the engagement much
of the sixth page is also consumed by the record
of the fray.
There is condemnatory statement by the mayor,
who insists that the good name Douglas for peace
quiet and order shall be preserved let the chips fall
where they may; a statement by deputy sheriff
who acted in the capacity of separator: three-
column two-inch, 12-point statement by the paper
ITSELF defining its unbiased attitude. and then, three
fourth column leads of statements by the re-
porter, the fire department, penitential review by
Judge Jacks, as we'll expression by transient
city prisoner who having the judge in action
during the melee exclaimed: "And, my God, is that
the man before whom I'm to be tried tomorrow"
Within our journalistic experience on both the
inside and the outside we do not recall ever having
seen a fist fight so exhaustively treated. II any
citizen Douglas Pirtlevlle who had any opinion
about the affair." failed embrace the opportunity
opened in the columns of the International to be
heard with reference to this fistc dispute and the
merits and circumstances of it, it is his own fault.
and may he henceforth forever hold his peace.
Notwithstanding the consuming consummation OF
this record, we are left in doubt as to who licked
and who got licked. in which respect 1t resembles
that "niad OF a Day." 1.-THE Battle OF the Frogs and
Mice" variousy attributed to Homer and to Caria,
the brother of Queen Artemisia That is we do not
yet know whether three jacks beat ace.
There the usual general disagreement of the
versions of the statement makers to what actually
occurred, to who top in the scrimmage
and to whose voice 1t that cried Take him
off" Enough" make him quit biting!" and
similar protests against violations established ring
rules.
On the day this communique appeared there
was meeting at washington, d. c. of representa-
tves Of the nations who gathered to If some
way be found to stop this of thing. What
accomplished toward this end that day we
do not learn from the columns of the International
the Associated account of the proceedings
of the limitations Of armament conference was
crowded out by this sanguinary story of the out
break the border.
Is it too late to revise the agenda and member
ship Of the conference so as to give the reporter
and the Jacks and their feud representation?