The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-04-05
VERY UNUSUAL CASE
Dickinson Woman, Charged With Per-
s. jury-Swore She Was Cosrced
Into Signing a Note.

Dickinson Press: Quite an unusual
criminal case was given a preliminary
hearing before Judge Van der Las
Wednesday afternoon--that of Mrs
Sophia Pavlicek, a Bohemian living a
few miles north of Dickinson, who is
charged with perjury. 1t was a law
yers' battle and was hard fought on
both sides. The judge, however, ruled
that there was sufficient evidence to
hold her to district court on bond of
$3.50, which was furnished.
The case, grew out OF civil suit
brought by the Racine & Satterly Co.
of Minneapolis against Joseph w. Paw
licek, to recover a. sum of between
81, 500 and $4,000 on a note signed by
Joseph w. Pavlieek, Mrs, Sophia Paw
licek, and other members of the family.
AS a part of the testimony in the civil
action, there was introduced an affi-
davit signed by Mrs. Pavlicek, who Is
the mother Of the defendant. also a
supplementary affidavit, stating in eff
feet that she was coerced into signing
the note and that the threat was made
to her by the attorney of the Racine &
Saterly Co., NJ L. Mcbride, that unless
she signed the note, her son would be
arrested and sent to prison.
1t was on this testimony that the
second case, that Of perjury, was
brought. The case is one of consider
able Importance, owing to the promi-
nence OF those whom it involves.
The states case was largely brought
on by the testimony of M. L. Mcbride
He stated that the Racine & Satterls
Co. engaged the Arm OF Mcbride q
Baker, through their western NORTH
Dakota manager. l.. T.. 9Brocket, as
their attorneys for this district about
Aug. 1. On Aug. 10 the law firm was
dissolved, SO Mr. Baker never did any
work for the company. Mr. Mcbride
served in that capacity for severa'
months, and then turned over his pa
pers to Hebron & Baird, who are now
the company's attorneys.
Mr.. Mcbride went on to state thai
the Pavlicek note was signed In hil
office, but he was not In the room wher
Mrs. Pavlicek signed. He denied em.
phaticaliy that he ever told the Paw
licek woman any OF the statements she
claims In her AFFIDAVIT, either person
ally or through any agent, and de-
| nounced the affldavit as false. Sh'
cannot speak English and he Is unabl'
to speak German or Bohemian,
| Frank Wanner, who Is employed u
McBride's ONCE. n. r. Hammond .
Minneapolis, who was here when tn
note was signed as representative 0
| the Racine q 9atterly Co. and L, I
Brocket of Des Moines, Ia, the westeri
| North Dakota representative Of tn
company, all testified IN corroborattol
OF what Mr., Mcbride said. The the
state witnesses were Joseph w. PAY
i licek and Ben Riva who were used {
chow that the woman was In the coun
try at the time the note as signed an
that she actually signed 1t,
4 The defense did not put on any Wit
nesses. but made q motion that tn
case BIO dismissed. #. f, Murtha 9
McFariane q Murtha, the attorney
for the defense, argued the case "a
their client. and r. 9. Hebron. Of Hefr
ron q Baird, the prosecuting attorney
gave the states case. The judge over
ruled the motion. During the trit
Matt g0hmttz was court stenographe
The case promises 70 be quite sense
tionai when IL comes up for trial
1 district court,