The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-02-01
WOOD FALLS MINNESOTA THURSDAY, FEBRUARY l. 1894
looked for disagreement. Judge Web
Der was greatly surprised and ad-
mitted it.
FIRST DAY.

u
FIRST DAY.
New ULM, MINI, Jan. 25.-The din
gy old Brown county court room, SO
soon to be replaced by magnificent
new room, was crowded to it's utmost
all day yesterday. Three-quarters of
the large crowd present were Redwood
county people, it being estimated that
over 12O citizens of Redwood county
were subpoenaed as witnesses to ap-
pear in the celebrated cases against
County Attorney Madigan. Judge
Webber, dignified and pleasant, pre-
sides at the bench, and rules with won
derful satisfaction. The first case
called-and it was called yesterday
morning was the case of perjury,
wherein the county attorney was ac-
cused of swearing falsely to an affi-
davit which was one of the foundation
papers for bringing forth the assign
ment Of Helgeson & Mogen. The case
opened with a determined effort on
the part of the defense to quash the
indictment on the ground that it did
not state an offense. The motion was
overruled, an exception noted, and the
evidence commenced with HalvOr Hell
geson on the stand. He gave a full
account of the transaction that led to
the assignment, and then detailed the
assignment proceedings. Attorney
Peck, for the defense, cross-examined
him sharply, and broke down the di-
rect evidence in spots. Geo. Hough-
master was called, and testified to the
taking of Madigan's acknowledgment,
and the defense made no attempt to
disprove that the acknowledgment
had been taken.
Ole H. Mogen, the junior member
of the firm, was next called, and his
evidence was in about the same line as
Helgeson's. On the cross-examination
he stated that the firm did not have to
make an assignment, although it could
only pay 40 cents on the dollar.
Peter n. Ramnes, who has hereto
fore supposed to have been myth,
was next called, and with his appear
ance there was some sensational evi-
dence. He testified that the firm of
Helgeson & Mogen, who had made the
note of $500 to him, did not owe him
anything. He did not give him any
authority 10 attach or use his name to
the note, and that he did not receive
anything from the estate for doing SO.
He never saw Madigan until two
weeks before last Christmas. He was
not at his office on April last, when
the assignment occurred, and has only
been in Redwood Falls once since that
time, and that was to appear before
the grand jury. Helgeson had never
told him that he had a note running
to him, but had told him that he want
ed to give him a note. Ramnes told
Helgeson that he did not want any
thing to dc with the case, because he
was afraid of trouble. Helgeson as
sured him that there was no danger,
because his lawyer said that it was all
right. On cross-examination he ad-
mitted that Helgeson and he were
cousins; that they frequently visited
back and forth, and that Helgeson
was at his place on April 5 last. He
didn't talk about partnership business,
financial troubles, dissolution, or any
thing else, but asked that l help him
out, and here Ramnes confirmed his
previous testimony regarding giving
the note to Ramnes. Helgeson did
not tell him that he had the note with
him, and he did not see it.
@. Did you not understand that it
was to bring an action against Hell
geson & Mogen?
A. No. sir. Helgeson did not tell me
what his debts were, or in what condi-
ton he was in financially
O. How do you know that it was on
the 5th day of April that Helgeson
was talking with you?
A. I keep track of the days that [
spend seeding-a record in book that
1 have at home at the present time.
Here the defense attempted to break
down the testimony regarding time,
and the witness became badly ratified.
Ramnes was married in July last, and
Senator Peck, with a record of mar
riages in Renville county stepped for
ward and asked him whether he re-
membered having signed the marriage
record when he secured hisN license.
He was not sure; couldn't tell, but
-rY~ - 50