John L. Morrison - Criminal Libel

Criminal Libel

In 1924, Morrison took on state Sen. Mike Boylan, Cass County Probate Judge Bert Jamison and former Hibbing mayor Victor L. Power. Jamison and Power both quickly sought to have Morrison jailed for libel. Boylan’s revenge came later.

Morrison wrote that Jamison had acquired syphilis at a brothel, but numerous affidavits from hospitals and doctors indicated Jamison’s 12 surgeries were due to glandular troubles caused by tuberculosis, not syphilis. Morrison was found guilty and sentenced to 90 days in the Cass County jail, but raised bail and returned to Duluth pending appeal. Alfred Lambert, the source of Morrison’s story, was also tried for slander and criminal libel, and sentenced to 30 days in the county jail.

Power sued Morrison during his 1924 campaign for Congress. Morrison had accused Power of taking money from undesirable clients, then abandoning them. He also quoted Mesabi Hotel employees who told him Power had one night “crawled into bed so beastly drunk ... that he used his couch as a privy or puking place entirely without the help of cathartic or emetic.”

Power claimed Morrison’s article was written for the sole purpose of injuring him politically. He told the Duluth News Tribune he was going against the advice of his campaign committee by bringing up the charges against Morrison before the election. He alleged the Ripsaw article was “instigated by the opposition camp,” and that Morrison was the advertising manager of his opponent. Furthermore, he suggested that Morrison was “preparing extra copies of his paper to be delivered to the opposition for special circulation.” Power vowed to have anyone who circulated the Ripsaw arrested, saying those who circulate the paper “are as liable to the same prosecution as the publisher.”

Power lost the congressional election, and his trial against Morrison began on Dec. 3, 1924. State Rep. George Lommen was the first to take the witness stand on Power’s behalf. Morrison had attacked Lommen in the past, accusing him of collecting bribes from the operators of slot machines, as well as declaring that he was such a flip-flopping “political chameleon,” he would probably end up a Communist.

Lommen accused Morrison of bringing forth the libelous attacks because he and Power had not bought enough political advertising in the Ripsaw.

Morrison’s trial was the longest in Hibbing, Minnesota history at the time. In the end, after five hours of deliberating, the jury found Morrison guilty. He was sentenced to 90 days in the county workhouse. He immediately appealed.

On June 1, 1925, Morrison was ordered to make a public apology to Power. Morrison told the court and Power that he was sorry if the Ripsaw “had cost Mayor Power the election.” The charges against Morrison were dropped and his sentence rescinded.

Later that month, Morrison pleaded guilty to the charges of criminal libel brought by Jamison. Judge W. S. McClennehan reduced the sentence to a $100 fine, which so pleased Morrison that he attempted to make a speech thanking the judge. McClennehan pounded his fist on his desk and admonished Morrison. “I don’t think any more of you, sir, than I do this damn desk,” he shouted.