The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-01
FINN WORKERS
BACK ETEENPAIN
AGAINST WHITES
Amorous Pastor Attacks
Radical Daily
eY A.oHALoNEN.

in the United States district court in
Boston. Rev. John E. Lillback, Fin
nish priest, whose name has for many
years been connected with many
strange rumors, brought a libel suit
against the Finnish radical daily
Eteenpain of Worcester, Mass, for
publishing an article, which he alleged
was improper, effecting his income.
To justify his action, he also ex-
planned, that after the publication of
the article, the membership of his Fin
nish congregation in Brooklyn had
decreased almost to nothing.
Expose Love-Maklna.
The said article dealt with the pas
tors love-making and the hypocrisy
of the priest and religion in general.
For this, Pastor Lillback demanded
$50, 900 from the Finnish radical news
paper and brought the suit against it.
The case was. very interesting and
even the English newspapers of Bos-
ton followed Sthe proceedings very
closely. The case, was opened Oct. IS
and on Oct. 81, the jury gave its deci-
sion. The defendant paper was con-
demned to pay, $4,000 to Rev. LII
back. The sentence was surprising
and the defendant paper will appeal,
if new trial is denied.
White Versus Red.
The suit brought against the Eteen-
pain was not only a libel suit, for po-
litical matters were also brought up.
After an unsuccessful revolution in
Finland, 1918, there has been a deep
feud betweenl tcalled red and white
among the Finnish people. The vic
torious" whites have used all means
to suppress the radical movement, that
is so strong among the Finnish in
America. The Lillback libel suit was
one of the weapons used against the
radicals. The attorney for Rev. Lill-
back, Alfred Anderson, who is also
the consul of the Finnish white gov
eminent, tried to show, that the Fin
nish daily receives money from Soviet
Russia and tried to mix Communism,
socialism and al kind of -vism and ism
in the case. He wanted to give the
jury the impression, that the defen-
dant must be annihilated.
The defendant tried to prove to the
court, that the article on which the
libel suit was based contained nothing
but the truth. The defendant had wit
nesses, who testified that Rev. Lillback
had made love to them under the guise
of religious ceremony. In addition to
this, many affidavits were read to
prove that the newspaper in its article
had told nothing but the truth.
Rev. Lillback called for his wit
nesses three priests and professor,
who is not a college professor; his
original profession being that of a
shoemaker. One. of the witnesses tes-
titled, that owing to the published ar
ticle Pastor Lillback's hair had grown
old However the defendant proved,
that Lillback has been wearing a wig
for twenty years. % With the aid
of these witnesses and his consul-at-
torney, Lillback won the suit.
Workers Support Eteenpain.
The supporters of the courageous
Finnish daily have answered this at
tack of their enemy by subscribing
thousands of dollars to the defense
fund of the paper. Appeals have been
sent and meetings have been arranged
for support of thekpaper. The answer
has been very enthusiastic.
The Finnish workers will show TO
the blackcoated enemy and the Fin
nish whites, that their victory" will
turn to defeat.