San Francisco Labor Leaders Accuse The Times of Libel

July 19, 1910: "Jailbird" ... "pinhead" ...  A typical Times editorial about labor.

Sept. 4, 1910: San Francisco labor leaders file a libel suit against Times Editor and General Manager Gen. Harrison Gray Otis and Assistant Manager Harry Chandler. It’s a bit difficult to determine precisely which stories were cited in the suit because The Times so often used caustic language in writing about unions. The Times says:  “The complaints were based upon articles in The Times asserting that certain of the aforesaid bosses came to Los Angeles to foment industrial strife and civic disorder,” which sounds very much like this Aug. 25, 1910, story. At the time the suit was filed, Otis was in Mexico on a goodwill trip at the request of President Taft. Chandler, who had just returned from a vacation trip to British Columbia, was freed on $200 bail, The Times said. The libel charges were dismissed by a judge because of errors in the form and substance of the complaints, The Times said.

Sept. 4, 1910: San Francisco labor officials accuse The Times of libel. Notice that Times Editor and General Manager Gen. Harrison Gray Otis is in Mexico. He will not return until the day after The Times bombing.   Sept. 11, 1910: The Herald updates the story about a libel suit filed by San Francisco labor officials against Harry Chandler. Sept. 24, 1910: The Times reports that the libel case was thrown out because of errors in the complaints.