William Evans, publisher of the Valley Vigilant, weekly newspaper of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was sentenced last week to three months in the county jail, fined $100. His offense: criminal libel of a County Commissioner during a political campaign. Libel convictions are rare in the U. S.
Patrician Press
Brown and trim are the doorsteps of Albany's patrician houses. Brown and trim are the minds of the Dutchmen who live along State Street, Chestnut Street, Washington Avenue. They look back over 300 years of unbroken tradition to Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, first of the patroons to sail across the ocean and up the Hudson to the trading post of Fort Orange.
Albany's Dutchmen are leisured: they have no need of tabloids. They are retiring and shun society columns. Screaming headlines are monstrosities no less offensive than the maunderings of Dorothy Dix. Most newspapers would flutter uncomfortably on their trim, brown doorsteps.
Happily for all, Albany has managed to furnish at least one and sometimes two newspapers which could nestle securely against Dutch welcome mats. Such a newspaper was the Argus, which traced its beginnings back to 1813. Such a newspaper, in the evening field, was Thurlow Weed's famed Albany Evening Journal, staunch bulwark of Republicanism.
But in 1921, the Argus sold out to The Knickerbocker Press, which dated only from 1842. And in 1922, The Knickerbocker Press started the Albany Evening News, which used youthful and vigorous methods to crush the Journal. By 1925, Argus and Journal had both made reluctant exits.
Some salve to Dutch sensibilities has been the ownership of the Press and News. For the Press passed, in 1911, into the hands of able, blunt Judge Lynn John Arnold, who published it for the Clark family (Singer Sewing Machines) of Cooperstown. Young, rich Stephen Carlton Clark had married Susan Hun, descendant of brownest, trimmest Albany ancestors. Many a cousin, many an inlaw, would write indignantly to Owner Stephen when the Press, and later the News, failed to be brown and trim.
Perhaps because he was tired of indignant, cousinly notes, perhaps because he was little interested in journalism, Owner Clark began, last year, to dicker for a sale. He refused $1,600,000. He approved the building of a new mechanical plant, purchase of new presses.
Last week, he sold out to Publisher Frank Ernest Gannett, owner of 13 newspapers, third largest chain in the U. S. It was Publisher Gannett's third important buy of the year. The first, The Hartford Times (TIME, Feb. 6), cost him $5,000,000. Last June (TIME, June 18) he bought the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Price: $3,500,000. The Knickerbocker Press and Albany Evening News bring his year's investments well above $10,000,000. Publisher Gannett's newspapers are known as "clean," "wholesome" and "non-partisan."
Comings & Goings