The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-15
CONTEMPT OF
COURT CHARGED
TO NEWSPAPER
Judge Cites Four Officials
of Cleveland Press
for Editorial,

III GhNAOi iN4tF
b. ScriDDs-HovGrf NersDqDcr Auiqnce
CLEVELAND. o., July l5.-Four
executives Of the Cleveland Press,
4 Scripps Howard newspaper, are
scheduled Tuesday to face charges OF
CONTEMPT Of court before Common
Pleas Judge Frederick P. Walther.
Louis B. Setter, editor; Carlton
T Matson. chief editorial writer;
John G. Meilink. business manager,
and Joseph A. Finster, circulation
manager. are those cited.
Citations followed publication in
the Press of editorials condemning
Judge Walher's action in granting
an Injunction restraining Sheriff E.
7. Hanrattv of CuyahOga county
from interfering with gambling at
ThistledoV-n race track.
Newton .. Baker. secretary Of war
under the late President Wilson and
members Of the law firm Of Baker,
Hostetler & Sidlo we're to represent
the Press in court.
Injunction Is Oranteo
The Injunction which the editorial
criticized was issued two hours be-
foe q twenty-five dav race meet was
slated 70 open last Wednesday. The
order forbade the sheriff TO interfere
With the operation Of the track or
the contribution betting system.
AS an addenda. hOweve, the Judge
penned in. If the same be not in
violation Of the laws Of Ohio
The county prosecutors office i'm
mediatelv notified the sheriff that
the injunction is not worth the
paper it is written on" Thereupon
the sheriff went to the track. found
tho betting system in full operation,
and arrested I'd P. Strong. owner Of
the track, who had obtained the in
junction Stong is a power in Re-
publican political circles.
Strong voluntarily halted the races
on the following Gay. Hanratty
visited the track with 100 deputies
and laid siege to the betting booths.
There followed an exodus Of the
1900 horses gathered for the meet.
Many Of them we're moved to Balm
bridge track. in an adjoining county.
where race betting is illegal, but I'M
restricted by the local authorities.
Press Blasts Judge
on the same day the Press ex-
pressed itself editorially. in part, it
said to the sheriff:
The interests which forced YOU
70 reScind Your statement that YOU
would appoint 2 commission 10
clean up racing are the same in
terests which are behind Thistle
down. They DO not want clean rae
ing. They want big cut" for the
track. They want a lot of things
which go with racing which is not
clean.
They had, as YOU know. a Judge
I'D their sleeve who would do their
bidding They had that ace in the
hole The judge. Frederick P. Wal
Their who long has taken orders
from the interests which wanted
Thistledown to continue.
This Judge issues the most mon
strous Injunction order put out
from the bench in Cuyahoga Coun-
~ in our time.
He enioins the sheriff of this
county from doing his sworn duty
Of enforcing the law. If any act
Of Judge can drive him from the
bench. this act Of Walters should
DO it.
If this Injunction can be
sustained. almost any injunction to
restrain an officer of the law from
doing his duty can be sustained.
Almost any bootlegger. gambler.
divekeeper, or what not can get an
Injunction to keep the arresting Of
ficers from his door"
Editorial Called Untrue
The citation states that the con-
tents of the editorials were false
and untrue" and that the natural
effect thereof was to insult. valify.
degrade, defame. and intimidate the
said court; to impair and destroy
the power and influence of said
court and judge; advocated a dis
regard of the courts orders and I'M
piled that the acts and orders of the
court were a farce and outrage. con-
trarv to law and founded in fraud.
wrong. and ignorance OF said judge.
Through his attorney. Walter in
dicated he would consider a re-
traction by The Press before i'm
posing sentence. No retraction is
contemplated, an editorial in the
newspaper today indicates, stating
that it does not intend TO attempt
to adiudicate the issue before the
court