The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-28

Bismarck, n. D., Feb. 2S.-At 1920
this morning, after passing a number
of bills, the house resolved itself into
the committee of the whole, with Han
son in the chair. to hear the evidence
taken by the Cowan investigating COM
mittee. The action was entirely vol
untary on the part of the committee
members who signed the majority re-
port.
Chairman Jordal presented the evil
dence of all the testimony taken dur
ing the Investigation. The evidence
given in the examination was read by
Jordal So far only the testimony
from witnesses for the prosecution has
been entered.
At the noon hour Price stated that
sufficient evidence had been heard to
bring charges against Judge Cowan,
and he moved that when the committee
raise 1t recommend charges be made
for his impeachment
The motion was seconded by Ploy-
har who stated he felt the members of
the investigating committee making
the majority report, had labored under
a misapprehension and thought they
were ,convicting Judge Cowan instead
of making a report. He stated he had
voted for the adoption Of the majority
report Friday, but without knowledge
of what the evidence contained.
Streeter stated he wanted all the
testimony before he voted intelligently
upon so momentous question. He
thought il was decidedly unfair to hear
only one side and bring charges with
out hearing the testimony favoring the
defense.
Stern saw no reason for the prosecu-
ton to railroad the impeachment
through and he stated he wanted to
hear the other side of the case before
anything further was done. He asked
Iordal If there was anything favoring
the defense, and it was said there was
plenty.
Sorlie said that time must be taken
to hear Cowan's favorable testimony,
since action had been taken at all to
listen to that which was condemna-
tory He insisted upon fair play and
recommended that the committee take
a recess until o'clock to hear the
rest of the evidence.
Frame moved that the committee go
into recess for thirty minutes and the
recommendation that the committee
again sit at 1915 was made and car
ried.
Price stated he didn't mean to be
unfair in the matter of the motion
but that he felt the only duty of the
house in the whole case was TO prefer
charges and let the senate hear the
complete evidence. Judge Cowan was
on trial.
So far as the recital of the testi-
mony this morning was concerned, all
the evidence was largely against Cow
an. That read was from Judge Cor
liss, Fred ]. Traynor, Devils Lake: L.
]. Which. Devils Lake: H. G. Green
leaf. Minot; C. NJ. Cooley, Grand Forks;
A. II. Reade, Devils Lake; F. f. Cuth-
bret, r. p Mann, Dovils Lake; C. w.
Butte and John Van-Liew. 1t mostly
showed Cowan to have been asleep on
the bench, accused OF having been
drunk on occasions and deferring GER
tain court cases for period of months.
Not one showed at what time Cowan
was seen drunk nor that he had been
drunk on the bench. All the cases cited
where he had fallen asleep while sitting
In court was during the hot summer
months. One story sworn to about
his attitude in a certain case when he
was attorney general, was not sub
Stimulated as no one could name the
place where Cowan was said to have
been drunk He was said to have
drunk all the evidence in certain blind
pig cases, and the sheriff informed
Cowar. then attorney general that the
trial would have to be postponed until
more evidence would be brought in on
the 500 line.
Fred Traynor stated he had seen
Cowan drunk in Devils Lake on city
election day last April and had seen
him passing frequently from the vot-
ing place to drug store where he
believed he had been drinking, which
Jordal branded as purely circumstan-
tial and not real evidence. He further
said he had seen Cowan on the bench
at Minnewaukon but later modified the
statement by saying he was not drunk
on that occasion.
w e. Wehe stated in his testimony
that he personally stood for decency,
Cowan for the opposite, and that none
Of his cases would ever be tried in his
court again. John Van Liew's testi-
mony stated that he had seen Cowan
drinking in a disreputable place; that
he did not believe he was a drinking
man in private. but took a drink occa-
sionally. Another story was told by
Wehe that Cowan with two attorneys
went into a room at O'clock one
morning and someone turned water
into a bath tub and one prepared to
take a bath; that the whole set were
drunk and were ordered to leave the
house.
II was stated this morning that
Governor Burke was preparing to send
= special message to the house con-
corning it, recent action in the Cowan
impeachment charges. TO prevent this
the house called for the testimony. to-
consider 1t in committee OF the whole,
AZ ii customary when a divided report
Is made from any committee. standing
or special.
TO reconsider the clincher motion
nassed Friday night which adopted the