Evening star., 1951-12-20
Defamation Trial
Closes With Tiff by
Judge and Newsman
BY the Associated Pres,

/
LAKE CHARLES, La, Dec. 20.
The trial of four newsmen
charged with defaming three gam
blers ended last night in dis
agreement between the judge and
one of the defendants on what
crimes involve moral turpitude.
"You call man a thief and he
might slap your face. but if you
call man a pimp he'll kick your
brains out, guarantee you." Judge
J. Bernard Cooke told Managing
Editor Kenneth L. Dixon of the
Lake Charles American Press.
Judge Cooke took the cases un-
der advisement. He said he would
hand down a decision some time
after the record is transcribed and
oral arguments and briefs are pre-
isented.
Mr.. Dixon was the last of the
defense witnesses. He, Publisher
Thomas Shearman, Co-Publisher|
William Hugh Shearman and Re-
porter Carter George were tried on
charges of defaming three gam
blers during an anti-gambling
campaign
Prosecutor Starts Tiff.
Prosecutor M. E. Culligan
started the tiff between Judge
Cooke and Mr.. Dixon when he
asked the 36-year-old managing
editor if he thought the crimes
of rape and kidnapping involved
moral turpitude.
Turpitude is defined by the
dictionary as a depraved or
shameful act.
Mr.. Dixon said any departure
from the order of conduct estab-
lished by society might involve
moral turpitude.
Judge Cooke said caustically:
There are laws protecting a
mans establishment from having
pies thrown around" Judge Cooke
said. He added that gambling
and drinking are wrong because
the law says they are wrong
while crimes like murder or de
filing the chastity of a woman
without her consent" are abhor-
rent to all of society.
Newspaper Assailed.
The discussion was indirectly
referring to a part of the police
record the American Press at
tributed to one of the gamblers,
E. j. Miller.t The newspaper had
listed under Miller's name the
charges of rape and kidnapping.
Mr.. Culligan maintained these
crimes were charged to another
E. j. Miller, a different man with
the same name as the gambler.
Mr.. Culligan and Judge Cooke
both assailed the newspaper for
its manner of gathering the rec
ords it printed August IL on it's
front page.
The American Press reported
what was held to be the police
records of Is persons with names
similar to some gamblers who had
pleaded guilty to gambling
charges and received suspended
jail sentences.
An editor note stated that "un-
der normal judicial procedure it
was unusual to suspend sentences
lof persons having a previous police
record for the same crimes.
Reporter a Key Witness.
"You were trying to show that
Judge Pickrel Gake Charles Dis
trict Judge Mark C. PickreD was
out Of line in his sentencing" MIR.
Culligan challenged.
Il don't recall using that
phrase" said Mr.. Dixon.
One of the key witnesses in the
trial was Mr.. George, a 24-year-
old reporter who had rocky time
under Mr.. Culligan's cross-exam-
ination.
Mr.. George admitted he didn't
know how to do the job" Editor
Dixon assigned him in checking
the court records to see if any
of the gamblers given suspended
sentences had previous criminal
records.
Three gamblers testified that
part of the criminal record printed
under their names did not belong
to them.