Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-09
EDITORS Of PAPER
PLAN COURT FIGHT
Board of Directors of indie
pendent Meet at Rockville
This Afternoon.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY,
. stan Correspondent of The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, April 9.-With the
return of the nine indictments alleging
the publication of libelous articles
against county and State officials by
the present editor and three former
editors of the Rockville Independent. a
county weekly, published here, the
political forces today settled down in
their separate camps to take stock OF
the situation.
The board of directors of the indie
pendent will meet here this afternoon,
according to E. Barrett Prettyman,
president of the company which pub
fishes the paper, and will discuss the
procedure to be followed in meeting the
charges contained in the indictments.
At that time counsel will be determined
upon, after which the latter will decide
upon the legal moves to be made.
Three Months Trial.
Mr. Prettyman pointed out that at
least one of the indictments against
w. J. Casey, managing editor of the
independent, would require a trial OF
at least three months, involving as 1t
does the presentation of records of the
expenditure of county funds since 1921.
He also indicated that the case would
be tried in Montgomery County, and
that a change of venue would not be
sought.
After the first skirmish. which covered
the presentation of the demand to the
grand jury and the return of the in
dictmentS, there is strong indication
that the case will produce one of the
most interesting if not the bitterest,
political legal fights which the county
at any time in its history has passed
through 1t is charged that back OF
the whole move may be seen political
maneuver by invoking the judicial ma
chinery of the State to set at rest ale
cations of malfeasance and miSfeasance
In Office of the present administrator,
which has the support of the regular
Democratic organization.
Soon after they were reported
they were examined in the office OF the
clerk of the court by Albert Bouic,
Rockville attorney, and an anti-leader.
Officials of the Independent and coun-
sci later held lengthy conference in
the Office of Edward Peter. Very
shortly after it became public in the
county seat that the indictments had
been returned Walter S. Casey, the
present managing editor of the indie
pendent, appeared in court with a
bondsman, and put up $500 on each OF
the three indictments returned against
him. A short while later Harrison B..
French. a former editor. who was joint
~ indicted with Walter w. Liggett, a
former editor, appeared in the Office OF
the clerk of the court accompanied by
Barrett Prettyman, president of the In
dependent and Edward Peter, attorney,
and gave bond of $500 for his appear
ance in court for trial.
Paper Backs Editor.
Mr.. Prettyman and Mr.. Peter said
that the paper would stand firmly and
hnhind CaCpV
French in the ensuing legal battle over
the charges of maladminiStration
These three editors have gotten out the
paper at various times since 1t was
taken over by the new company. The
present company had nothing to do
with the paper at the time that Nor
ris A. Bealle, also indicted, was publish
ing it.
The grand jury which returned the
indictments, it will be, remembered, was
attacked in a petition filed in the court
shortly after the county commissioners
and E. Brooke Lee appeared and de-
manded the investigation which result
ed in the indictments today. At that
time it was charged in the petition that
the inquisitorial body as composed
could not make a fair investigation,
and this was accompanied by allega-
lions that in its makeup was nephew
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certain employees of the county who
depended for their positions on the
officials who sought the investigation.
These allegations, it is said, may
form the basis of one of the moves in
the legal attack on the indictments,
should that course be decided upon by
the counsel for the defendants, instead
of Immediately going into court for trial
on the merits CT the cases. However,
there is little doubt but what the mat
ter will be pushed with view to hav-
ing a decision prior to the primaries
which are not many months away.
A trial on the merits of the charges
will of course give the defendants their