The Press: Pegler v. Reynolds

The late Heywood Broun was fond of calling Hearst Columnist Westbrook Pegler "light-heavyweight champion of the upperdog." Even after Broun died, terrible-tempered Westbrook Pegler did not forgive him, or his close circle of newspaper friends. Last week the ancient feud erupted in the trial of a $500,000 libel suit. Defendant: Columnist Pegler and Hearst corporations, which syndicate and publish his column. Plaintiff: Broun's old friend, onetime War Correspondent Quentin Reynolds, who five years ago invited Pegler's wrath by reviewing a biography of Broun for the New York Herald Tribune. Pegler took part of it to be an accusation that he was "responsible for Broun's death" because of his savage attacks on Broun. Soon after the review appeared. Pegler replied: "Like Broun, Reynolds was sloppy . . . his protuberant belly was filled with something else than guts . . . Reynolds was an absentee war correspondent . . . with the yellow streak glaring for the world to see." As an added insult, Pegler reported that Reynolds not only practiced nudism but also had the bad taste to propose marriage to Broun's wife on the way to Broun's grave.

Last week, on the stand in the trial in a Manhattan Federal District Court, Reynolds charged that Peg's description of him was a "malicious lie" and recounted his frontline war record. A deposition was introduced from Press Lord Beaverbrook praising Reynolds' "splendid pieces of reporting," while Eisenhower's wartime naval aide, Captain Harry Butcher, pointed out that Reynolds' reputation as a correspondent won him"the confidence of Ike." Pegler's charge that Reynolds went"nuding along the public road[with] a wench . . . absolutely raw," was fantastic, said Reynolds' lawyer, "since Mr. Reynolds has an allergy to sunshine which makes his skin break out . . ."

In the courtroom Broun's biographer, Dale Kramer, offered his hand to Pegler, was rebuffed when Pegler thundered:"I don't want to shake hands with you. You're a bastard." "You're the same, " answered Kramer. Pegler hastily summoned a court attendant, pointed at Kramer and said: "This man was threatening me." Then the two were haled into the judge's chamber and ordered not to speak to one another again in the courthouse.