The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-05-08
LEGISLATOR M'M|CHAEL
IS INDICTED FOR LIBEL
CHARGE FOLLOWS NEWSPA-
PER ARTICLE ATTACKING
HIGHWAY OFFICIALS.
LETTER WRITTEN AT DAWSON
Graft Charged to w. E. Grassland,
Federal Official Working in Geor-
gia, by Representative in Legisla-
ture From Marion County.

gla, by Representative IN Leg1sla-
ture From Marion County.
f. H. McMichael, member of the
legislature from Marion county and
who resides in Buena Vista, Ga, has
been indicted by the Bib county
grand jury on a charge of criminal
libel The Indictment followed the
appearance before the grand jury Of
W. A. Grassland, federal highway en-
gineer for Georgia, and w. r. Neel,
state highway engineer.
The indictment is the outgrowth of
an attack made by McMichael on Mr..
Grassland, the federal highway engi-
neer, in an article published early in
March in various newspapers of the
state, in which Mr.. McMichael charg-
es Grassland with grating through
| the state highway department.
The communication is said to have
been dated Dawson, Ga, March 3rd,
although Representative McMichaels
home is in Buena Vista, Ca Every
daily newspaper in Georgia is said to
have printed the same letter,
The indictment charges that Reps
resentative McMichael stated in his
letter to the press of Georgia that En-
gineer Grassland advised w. R. Neel,
state highway engineer, to purchase
a defunct quarry in north Georgia for
100000, "and thereby pulled in $751;
600 of our tax money"
Graft Was Charged.
Graft, pure and simple" the letter
continued. "But he is still chief coun-
sellor for Neel and the department
and he makes them buy cement from
the trust of his choice. The
people of Georgia know that Cross
land got that $4,000 and they know,
too, that they did not get one-fourth
the value of their 100000 given for
that Ebert county stone quarry"
The letter, about $500 words long,
was presented to the grand jury in its
entirety.
The principal part ofithe McMichael
communication to which Grassland
takes exception, is that portion which
claims that Grassland advised Neel
and the highway board to purchase
for 100000 an old, defunct quarry
at Elberton, and thereby pulled in
| $4,000 OF our tax money"
The communication further charged
that Grassland was still Chief coun-
sci for Neel and the department and
makes them buy cement from the
trust of his choice"
The McMichael communication was
general attack on the methods OF
the state highway department and
made charges of maladministration OF
the state road finances.
e
Indictment, returned to his home at
Buena Vista and surrendered to the
sheriff of Marion county He gave
bond of $500 for his appearance at the
next term Of Bib superior court.
Originally Made in Legislature.
The charges of Representative Nc
Michael against Engineer Grassland
were originally made on the floor of
the house of representatives at the
last session of the legislature AT that
time Mr.. McMichae1 alleged that Mr.
Grassland got a profit of $4,000 from
the sale OF the Ebert county quarry
to the state highway department, and
invested it in home at No. Is Peach
tree Way in Atlanta.
Mr.. Grassland denied the charges,
and both Engineer Neel and Chair
man Holder, of the highway commits
sion, also branded the allegations as
false They added that Mr.. McMichael
was peeved because the department
would not route highway through
Marion county as he wanted it.
There is no recourse under the law
for statement made on the floor of
the legislature by a lawmaker, and
this fact is said to be the reason no
action was attempted against Mr. Nc
Michael at that time. In addition to
the specific letter on which the Bibb
county indictment was based Repre-
sentative McMichael has written 9th
err communications to the newspapers
of the state, making charges against
! officials of the state highway depart
ment.