A Seattle Editor's Jail Sentence—and His Gallows Joke
C. H. Lugrin of the Telegram got three months and a $500 fine for criminal libel against Police Chief Bolton Rogers. He appealed—and joked that the judge couldn't hang him.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
C. H. Lugrin, editor of the Telegram, who was convicted of criminally libeling Bolton Rogers, chief of police, was yesterday sentenced by Judge Glasgow to a fine of $500 and to be imprisoned three months in the county jail. Mr. Lugrin made no reply, but it is reported that he jocularly told his counsel with grim humor that it was a pity the judge had no power to sentence him to death. A notice of appeal was given and the bond, fixed at $1,505 by Judge Glasgow, was signed by John Collins, proprietor of the Telegram, and Contractor James Parke.
The sentence imposed was more severe than looked for by many, yet was much less than the maximum. The law says: 'Every person who makes, composes or publishes a libel, or procures the same to be made, or who publishes or willfully circulates such libel, or in any way knowingly or willfully aids or assists in making, publishing or circulating the same, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not more than one year, or by fine not exceeding $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.'
“It was a pity the judge had no power to sentence him to death.”
Criminal libel was a potent tool for officials who wanted to punish criticism, and the Lugrin case shows how a police chief could turn a press fight into jail time. Modern defamation battles are usually civil, but the question—how far can a paper go in attacking public officials?—still shapes Seattle journalism and the law.
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