Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-26
Scare A Little Bit Prefers
Charges against Miller
And Patterson And
Asks the District Court To
Fire Them From Office
-ThinIy Disguised

Gdpllel IUI llllllOGll
A Tizzle
The oft reported threat Of Alder
man b. G. Patterson was carried out
yesterday when he, through his at
torney, B. r. Townsend, filed an
AFFIDAVIT in the district court demand
ling the dismissal from office Of As
sistant Attorney General Miller and
States Attorney A. 7. Patterson
The afidavit sets forth that these
gentlemen are officers of the law, that
they have been aware of the violation
of the prohibition and gambling laws
| in ssTatley's pig and divers other
places, and not only failed to prose
cute those guilty of the violation but
patronized such places, and that they
are engaged il prosecuting cases
against affiant for the sole purpose of
affecting the coming election wherein
/ afiant is a candidate for mayor.
IN the complaint against Mr.. Mil
Ter twenty names Of prominent citi-
zens are given as witnesses who, it is
alleged, can prove the assertions
made in the affidavit, from which the
only deduction that can be made is
that lot Of men who are not sup
/ posed to visit unlawful places will be
i called upon to back up the alderman's
statements.
Upon the filing of the affidavits
4 Judge Winchester appointed Attor-
neys r. N. Stevens and F. II. Register
to prosecute the cause. This means
/ that the attorneys named will in
/ vestigate the charges and if satisfied
that just grounds exist for q prosecu.
4tion will so report to the court and
proceed against defendants. It is a
civil action.
4 Such an action on the part of Mr..
/ Patterson is in line with the policy
! that gentleman has pursued for many
i Years and in the general opinion, as
expressed about the city last night, is
brought solely with the twofold idea
i of intimidating the officers prose
cutting Mr.. Patterson on charges of
4 selling intoxicating liquors and for the
effect the charges will have upon the
coming election.
It may be said in this connection
that even if the charges should be
4 proven, the cases against Mr.. Patter-
son viii be pushed with the utmost
lvigor to verdict one way or another,
/ for be it remember the whole power
of the state as represented in Gov
ernor Burke, who has said the laws
i must be obeyed, is behind this
prosecution. and if anyone has the
islightest idea that any such action as
4 this-or any other action that may
4 be brought as distraction from the
main issue-Will in any way deter the
4 state from prosecuting this case, the
i idea had best be abandoned at once,
] for the administration is not likely
to stultify itself by a backdown, COM
promise or failure to prosecute to the
best Of its ability
The entire state of North Dakota
has Its eyes upon Bismarck at this
q time, and the prosecution of this case
a is q living issue elsewhere as well as
Il here. People coming to the city from
| various sections of the state say that
Bismarck is In the public eye and the
1 outcome of the fight against the
liquor element elsewhere in the state
largely depends upon the success at
4 tanned here, SO, If for no other reason,
lat is plain that the Patterson case
must be fought to q finish.
The issue is plain to everyone In
4 the state who has visited Bismarck
\ for any length Of time and observed
conditions. and the fact that the citi-
q zens of Bismarck are making a fight
4 to root the blind pig evil from the
place il the subject Of much favorable
comment ii the state press. The
good name of the city is at stake in
this matter and all who honestly care
/ one particle for that good name must
. stand against the man who. more than
all others combined. has fastened the
pig and gambling element upon the
city and has done more than all other
mon to drag her fair name in the
dust. ss.
4 REGISTER asst CHANCE