Officers Deny Information to News Readers
May 13, 1931
Reporter arrested for persisting on knowing facts on man’s arrest.
Newsman is released after arrest here Sunday evening.
W. C. Cochrane, reporter for the Lassen Advocate, was arrested last Sunday night by Sheriff Leavitt. When two officers, traffic patrolman F. H. McClellan and Leavitt, had flatly refused to tell the newsman what another arrest was being made for.
D.E. McClure, a local resident, was arrested by McClellan when he climbed from his car at the corner of Main and Gay streets. Cochrane arrived at the scene shortly after and when he asked the traffic officer what the arrest was being made for he was told to “keep his nose out of this” and to mind his own business while being pushed away by the officer.
Cochrane, however persisted in knowing the facts surrounding McClure’s arrest and came back at the officer with his questions.
By this time a crowd had gathered and sheriff Leavitt was included. When the officer again pushed the newsman away, a volley of adjectives and descriptive verbs and pronouns rolled from the end of the reporter’s tongue, directed at the office.
Cochrane was then arrested by Leavitt for disturbing the peace, a charge which was never preferred. He was taken to jail and released shortly after.
After his release he was told that “he would never be given a break on news.” McClellan never reported McClure’s arrest to his superior officer Captain A. W. Lamme and McClure was released also shortly after the arrest.
In refusing Cochrane news information the officers automatically withhold the information from the Associated Press, United Press, Pacific Coast News Service, San Francisco Chronicle, Lassen Advocate and the Reno Journal, all of whom Cochran represents in Lassen County.
When taken to the county jail. Cochran insisted on being put in a cell, but was refused with the explanation from the sheriff that “the public would think I was taking a swipe at the Advocate.”
The case is believed to be the first of its kind ever recorded in the annals of newspaperdom.
When asked Tuesday night whether McClellan and reported an arrest to him, Captain Lamme stated that he had not. Further efforts to ascertain the cause of the arrest, if any, of McClure were met with the facts that Lamme was going on a fishing trip and would not be able to find out until he returned Thursday. McClellan had not reported to him Thursday morning.
Inspector White, when asked Thursday morning whether he knew anything of the arrest, stated that McClellan had not reported anything to him and when told that no charges were preferred after the arrest, stated “that in that case no arrest was made.” McClellan was away on a fishing trip Thursday and could not be reached.
