The Police Chief, a Feuding Reporter, and a $50 Verdict

Chief of Police Rogers was fined $50 and costs by the Justice of the Peace for assault and battery on T. W. Todd, a reporter for the Times.

The defense contended that technically there was no assault, but the testimony showed that the chief pushed or shoved Todd, and that constituted an assault within the meaning of the law.

Todd was an old man who had lived in this city for years, and was well known. The trouble grew out of a personal feud. Todd's paper had made attacks upon the chief, and Rogers considered the criticism different from ordinary newspaper talk. On Tuesday morning, about 10 o'clock, when Todd rose from his desk in his office, the chief came in, and tapping Todd on the shoulder, said: "I want to see you." When Todd started for the door, he added: "I don't want to have anything to say to you."

Witnesses differed as to what took place. Todd testified that Rogers seized him by the collar and vest and hustled him into Rogers' private office, where he told him he did not intend to hurt him, and asked him to be seated. Then, Todd said, Rogers called him a snake and took him to task severely for personal remarks. Rogers said he did not care about Todd's writing newspaper articles about him, but he did object to personal allusions from Todd as an individual.

Chief Rogers testified that he tapped Todd on the shoulder and told him he wanted to speak with him, and that when Todd started for the door he took him by the shoulder, telling him he did not intend to do him harm, and led him into his room. The chief said Todd went along without the use of force.

Captain George W. Boyle said Todd was standing a little to the left of the window at the desk, near the arrest book. The chief came out and said something to the effect that he wanted to speak to him. Todd started out and the chief grabbed him by the right shoulder. What happened after they went into the next room he did not know. The captain was uncertain as to the amount of pushing or shoving the chief did to get Todd into his private office.

Chief Rogers, who acted as his own attorney, put some questions to Todd tending to show up his character in his own favor, but they were ruled out by the court.

After the evidence was in and the arguments had been made, the court said that while he was satisfied from the evidence that there was no aggravated assault, the defendant was guilty within the technical construction of the law, and he therefore would impose a fine of $50 and costs. Chief Rogers immediately gave notice of appeal.