Interference?

Three Chinese, with a white lawyer, Michelson, were hailed before the U. S. District Court, San Francisco, on a charge of having conspired to bribe an immigration officer. All four were acquitted, but not before the prosecuting attorney had added to the tribulations of a California Cabinet member. Said the prosecutor:

"In a previous address to you, I made inference that Curtis D. Wilbur, Secretary of the Navy, was attempting to interfere with prosecution of this case. I now withdraw this inference and make the direct statement that he is interfering.

"He sent a letter to Harlan F. Stone, Attorney General, in which he said that Attorney Michelson was being prosecuted on evidence not sufficient to warrant action. Secretary Wilbur should have known better than to do a thing of this sort.

"He has been a lawyer and a judge, and from the knowledge he gained from those positions he should have known that to do that sort of thing is a direct act of interference."

Mr. Wilbur explained: "I officiated at his [Michelson's] wedding and his first baby was named after me. When this matter came up, Mr. Michelson asked me to send a telegram which could be shown the District Attorney, making a statement as to his general reputation. I did so and stated that his reputation was good. I know nothing about the merits of the charge against Mr. Michelson and there is no truth in any statement that I am interfering to defeat justice."