Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-12

appointment Of two Property
Review Boards for handling
roads condemnation cases here.
The paper got behind sched-
nle this week when the grand
jury called every employe, ex-
GLIDING the editor and pub
Usher. to appear before it
Tuesday. That's the big work
day for q weekly which goes
to press on Wednesday.
I'VE have decided to hold
up publication now until the
grand jury reports its finding.
Editor Alfred Toombs said
yesterday. A report is expected
tomorrow.
The investigation is the re-
suit Of special charge made
to the outgoing grand jury by
Circuit Court Judge Philip H.
Dorsey. jr.. when it returned
Ilast Monday to clean up its
work before being discharged.
Cites Basis for Case
Two editorials and q news
article concerning st. Marys
County's unique position Of
being the only county with two
property review boards are the
only basis for the investigation,
Judge Dorsey says.
The probe. however. climaxes
a long battle between Judge
Dorsey and the Enterprise
which ironically he owned for
some 20 years.
The present owner-publisher
Sheridan Fahnestock bought
the papers from Judge Dorsey
IL years ago.
Mr.. Toombs admits the paper
''tehemently" fought Judge
Dorsey's election last year.
Since I came here two years
ago and long before that the
paper has opposed the opera
ton of the Court House gang, !"
Mr.. Toombs said.
Mr.. Toombs is an ex-Wash-
ington newsman who during the
193Os and early 1940s worked
on the Daily News, the old
Times and The Star. Since
1947 he has been living in st.
Marys. He is fIee-lance
writer. author of three novels
and a two or three days a week
editor Of the Enterprise.
Mr.. Fahnestock is a special
list in Pacific affairs and for
IS years spent his time ex-
ploring islands in the South
Pacific. He formerly was di-
rector Of international public
relations for Trans-World Air
lines.
Democratic Chief
Judge Dorsey. prior to going
on the bench, was the recog-
nized Democratic chief in the
county for some is years. He
has served as States attorney,
member Of the House Of Dele
gates, as a State Senator and
peoples counsel for the Public
Service Commission.
Judge Dorsey in 1854 ran un-
successfully for the Democratic
attorney general nomination
with George p. Mahoney. Last
year, after capturing both the
Democratic and Republican
judgeship nominations in the
primary. he was a key man in
getting the party's senatorial
nomination for Mr.. Mahoney.
Mr.. Toombs has charged that
the present investigation is an
attempt to silence the Enter
prise.
But Judge Dorsey denies
there is any connection be-
tween his setting of the inves-
tigation and the newspapers
past attacks on him.
The jurist contends he is a
strong advocate Of press free
dom.
Certainly in reporting news
articles of pending matters and
pending litigation a newspaper
should be allowed, as 1t is by
law, the greatest latitude" he
said in his charge to the jury.
1T has long been recognized
that the press possesses not
only the privilege but the right
10 criticize the courts editori-
ally
But the editorials Of news
paper-especially a weekly
newspaper-where the editor
has time to marshal all the
facts. are supposed to reflect
its opinion based upon the
truth. When a newspaper de-
liberately attempts TO warp
facts and convey a false i'm
ipression editorially it is not act
ing in good faith" he con-
tinued.
Says Truth Is Warped"
At another point in his
charge 10 the grand Jury
Judge Dorsey said:
The tenor Of the article,
when read together tends tc
warp the truth and to hold the
court and the appointed boards
up to public ridicule."
The question the grand jurS
has to decide is whether theS
hold the boards up TO such
public ridicule "as would de.
stroy public confidence in then