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Show MUST NOT BE BRUTAL, It is rather difficult to excuse the.'hounding of Mrs. McManigal by the compelling of her to' testify against the McNamai'as, sa3rs the Sacramento Union. That a defenseless w6inan should be subjected to constant shadowing with 'detectives trailing her whcr-' ever she turns seems decidedly a brutal method of obtaining evidence. evi-dence. The prosecution at Los Angeles has no right to torture this woman. wom-an. When it rushed her into the presence of her husband after a long and fatiguing journey and virtually placed her on the rack with private detectives surrounding her and entreating her to testify as they desired, the publio was given a demonstration of the abuse of jfowcr that will not help toward a just disposal of a-fcase which already al-ready has excited a most regrettable class antagonism. And fully as lacking in propriety, we think, was the dragging of the McManigal children before the grand jury. One is only seven years of age and the other six. The story of either could be moulded mould-ed at the will of any clever lawyer who might conduct the examination examina-tion Their testimony therefore is of little account. "" It is justice and not simply conviction that is tqbe desired from the impending trial at Los Angeles. We have severely eritieiscd" labor la-bor leaders for proclaiming the innocence of the accused men pending pend-ing the submission of evidence, and we stand by our criticism; but we also protest against abuse of a woman to compel her to testify. Since she collapsed in the grand jury ante-chambor Mrs. McManigal has lain on a bed of sickness. Xo wonder, then, that one of her attorneys, at-torneys, who happens to be a distinguished resident of Los Angeles, threatened to protect her with his strong right arm. |