The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-03-23
CRIMINAL LIBEL.
Adj ourned Term Of Circuit Court for Lake
County, March 20, to Try the Case
Of Joseph Frudenfeld VS.. G. F.
Allen for Criminal Libel
A Disreputabls News
paper Attack.

An adjourned term Of the circuit
court for Lake county. Judge j. W.
Jones. presiding. will convene in Mad
ison Tuesday, March %. The purpose
Of the term is the trial OF the case Of
Joseph Frudenfeld. secretary of the .Ag-
ricultural Insurance company of this
city against Charles +. Allen, editor OF
the Brookings Press. for criminal libel.
The following extract is taken from the
article published by Allen in his paper:
Jos. Frudenfeld. formerly member of
the state board OF regents. and at one
time its treasurer. will return to South
Dakota and organize an insurance COM
pany. The people will have a whole lot
OF confidence in Joe's company. mas
much as he stole several thousand dol
lars Of their school funds while treasu-
rer of the regents"
Similar charges were followed up by
Allen in subsequent issues. aiming
through criminal malice to destroy a
mans character and reputation, though
his integrity and honesty have never
beet questioned by the thousands Of
people with whom he has come in bust
ness contact during his many years
residence in South Dakota.
Soon after the publication Of these
articles. Mr.. Frudenfeld caused Aliens
arrest and he was brought before the
Lake county circuit court at the Febru-
AIRY term and an adjournment of tie
trial taken to the 10Th inst. Upon con
~viction, the maximum penalty for the
crime Allen is charged with is one years
Imprisonment and 500 tine.
Mr.. F%rudenfeld has retained Judge
.Aikens Of Sioux Falls to assist in the
prosecution. 1t is proposed to teach
Allen "A lesson he will not soon forget.
Aside from the right or wrong in this
particular matter. the case will have
particular significance and will be
watched with interest by the public.
The following is a brief history of
the case, 10y which Aliens criminal at
tack may be judged:
At the formation of the board of re-
gents. Gov. Mellette appointed Joseph
t'rudenfeld "A member thereof. Suhsc-
%quently the board elected him it's secrc-
tary and treasurer, The state funds
were scrupulously kept distinct from
private funds and never was there one
dollar employed for private purposes.
The bulk of these school funds were de
posted with the Farmers and Merchants
bank of P%lankinton. The remainder
was on deposit in a bank at Chamber
lain. January. 1893. Mr.. F~rudcnfeld
went to Minneapolis with a view OF loca-
ting there. but his family was left to
reside in Plankinton At this time he
prepared a resignation to the governor
as a member and officer Of the regents.
but upon urgent demands from his
friends. reconsidered his action. While
abse Mt from home II. b. Hart, one of the
members of the Plankinton bank, acted
as deputy and attended to the books
and drew the warrants. In June. 1893,
during Mr.. Frudenfeld's absence. the
bank failed. Upon hearing this he hur-
riedly returned, only to find a deplorable
state OF affairs. About 5000 Of school
money was in the defunct bank. War
rants which Hart had drawn against the
fund for teachers salaries, ETC.. had gone
to protest. Fortunately the bank in
Chamberlain was still solvent and with
these funds the protested warrants were
protected. To add to the calamity quite
a number of the teachers had held war
rants sent them months previous. in
stead Of using due diligence in collecting
same. When they heard of the failure.
and not till then. did they hasten to col
lect their warrants. which of course. al