The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-07-10
STORY OF A PLOT
SONS OF WOOGLIN SAYS HE'LL RETURN sTOI
Told by A. J. Rustad, Absent Wit
ness for Col. Amos.
IT Is GIVEN TO THE PRESS
Moorhead Business Man Says He
Overheard the Com
spirators.

A. j. Rustad, the witness for the de-
Tense, for whom Judge Simpson refused
to delay the trial of Colonel Fred Ames,
chief Of police, Monday afternoon, tells
lawyers, WEIGH & Hubachek, MIR. Rustad's
statement as made to them Is printed as
follows.
To the Editor Of The journal.
4 deem it proper In behalf of Colonel Ames
and his attorneys to state what / know re-
garding the facts involved in the recent
trial OF Colonel Ames. ] reside at Moorhead
and have been in business there nine years,
deal with several wholesale houses in the
twin cities and am well -snown to them.
During the latter part of last February, while
on visit to the twin cities, was in the
toilet room Of the National hotel in the
evening and heard some men engaged in con-
yersation. The burden Of their conversation
was that the chief OF police of Minneapolis
had heard that the police officers were look
had heard that tn police officers were look
ing for them; their conversation indicated
that they were revengeful and splteful to-
ward the chief Of police and they stated that
If the chief inteTfered with their operations,
they would go before the grand Jury and
testify that they had paid him money and
they believed that there were enough people
in Minneapolis who were dissatisfied with
the administration, SO that their statement
Of payments or money to the chnef OF police
would be believed. I recollect the Language
in substance that one OF them used during
the conversation, which was, referring to the
chief of police: --....- ~.
eve must put up Job on him II 1t was
not for that damned chief things would be
running all right; if he does anything to stop
us we will fix up a story and go before Inc
grand Jury and swear that we paid MN
money; we will have plenty of hackers from
the outside and there are plenty OF people
in Minneapolis who will believe us.
One of the men said to one OF the others:
IF we do this will you stand pat! ana M ne
answered '.Yes''; then he said to one OF the
other men, '.Will you stand pat?'' to which
this man answered yes" s. III
/ looked over the partition in the toilet room
which separated me from these men, Tor the
purpose Of seeing who they were, and saw
the three men. IT,. s.sg 4.
Last MAY when saw that the chief of
police was in trouble over certain allegeo
disclosures of certain swindlers, connected
this with the conversation that had heard
and wrote Colonel Anaes about 1t. I came to
MINNEAPOLIS on June 16 at the request OF his
attorneys to see if I could Identify the men
who carried on this conversation. went TO
Judge Harrison's courtroom where Ole OF tne
| trials was in progress, and without having
him pointed out to me, Immediately recog-
nized L.. C. Crossrnan as the man VINO haq
carried on the principal part OF the con-
4
1 yersation above referred to. ! was unable TO
| get a good opportunity to see VIM. Edwards
| and therefore am not now certain Wnethef
! he was one OF the three men, and l, under
stand that Charles Howard was not IN the
/ courtroom when ! was present.
4 expected to be present at the trial Oh
| Colonel Ames and was requested by wire on
| July to be in Minneapolis the next Day
but nv business made it: impossible Tor me to
come, and stated over the telephone TO MI
| Ames attorneys that would be present or
! Monday, July Z. They also wired me or
| INV S to be sure to be present on July q
/ and I intended to be there, but missed my
train and on Monday morning wired the at.
torneys that / had missed n1Y tram. >pu'
\ would ,be there Tuesday morning. l came
4 Tuesday morning, although understand tha'
/ the court refused to hold the case to avail
my arrival. -, y *. :. :.
! I do not know Colonel Anes and never sa"
4 him until Yesterday, when 1 came here to at
tend the trial I did not know any Of MI
attorneys and never saw any OF them un1l
Yesterday, except that Mr.. Hubachek ea4lee
lupon me on June IA at Moorhead IN answer &c
| the letter had written to Colonel Ames, ane
| asked me to state what knew about ths
matter and I then related to him the faet
| as above set forth. "A. D. nasIau'
4 MINNEAPOLIS, July 9. &c. 10 Ii