Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-04-06
TESTIMONY 1, 1''''es '''''
C0WAN CASE
SEVERAL WITNESSES TESTIFY
FOR THE PROSECUTION
CHARGE

CHARGE
Bismarck, April 3rd.-The senate
spent most of the day Saturday lis
tening to testimony of witness regard
ing intoxication, charges against
Judge Cowan. President Burdick,
at the opening of the session, stated
to the senator's that while the sta
tutes provided that each specifica-
ton Of every charge" shall be voted
on separately as an Independent case,
vet no judgment will be expressed
by vote until the entire eighty-sev-
ea~ cases are presented. No human
mind is capable of remembering, aft.
err the close of theease, the EVIDENCE
and law in each particular case, hence
you will necessarily have to consid-'
er the matter as whole, the gtst OF
the case being, is the respondent a ut
man to hold the position of judge?"
J. H. Fulkerson of Crazy. for the
prosecution testified that in 1909 at
the depot in Churches Ferry, Judge
Cowan was seen to come on the
platform and was apparently In an
intoxicated condition. He was being
supported by DR.: Flath and John
Anderson and assisted by his steno-
grapher, Mr.. Taylor. p. D. Stands
berry. C. D.. Kelso, a Minot lawyer,
ana Rev. A. w. Burr all testified to
alleged instances of intoxication, also
J. d. Gill of Devils Lake.
No open charges have been made
that witnesses have been tampered
with, but President Burdick stated
from the chair that Imprisonment
would result in any cases where par
tisans were found to be entering into
case, either toward witnesses or to-
ward members of the court.
Another Witness
"a. l.. Sande of Hansboro, followed
Gill and testified with reference to
Adjust, 1909. He saw >Cowan in an
automobile one evening ID his UNDER
shirt without coat or vest on. He
was about thirty-five or forty feet a.
way. While there he said another
man came toward the automobile car
rying package, placing same In the
auto, A few minutes later he saw
Cowan putting on some clothes, hwlch
he said appeared to be shirt, but
he knew nothing else with reference
to matter. He said that he had drawn
a conclusion that the judge was some
what intoxicated by reason at man
of his prominence stopping in the
middle of the street to put on his
shirt and because he had seen Cowan
and several others in the auto with
coats and hats oc.
J. R. Crum of St. John, was called;
had known Cowan about ten years,
and testified with reference to the
Hansboro incident. Hhe said he had
spoken to Cowap while the Judge
sat in the car, that he was in stupor
and apparently intoxicated. Also
that he was sitting with only his un-
dershirt on. Later he said he saw
Cowan putting another shirt on. He
also identified Cowan's friends upon
this occasion. !,
Bismarck, April 5th.-Monday and
Tuesday there was a continuation OF
the testimony on charges Of intoxi-
cation in the Cowan case. Eight: wit
nesses were on the stand Monday and
testified that they saw the defendant
under what they supposed was the
influence sets sliauor.s John Dingmlaaan9 nan
81 PENN. testified that. he had met
Judge Cowan in room with John
Schultz and three others in Devils
Lake and gave his opinion that Judge
Cowan was drunk, basing 1t on the
ground that Cowan had flushed ap-
pearance and during his short stay
twice inquired as to certain business
relations. He had known Cowan II
years, but had not seen Cowan In that
condition any other time.
i. D. Maurer of starkweather said
he was walking up stairs in the Van
lenhoff hotel in October, 1908, heard;
voices singing and recognized one as
Cowan. Maurer also testified to see
ing Cowan on the bench and he thot
the Judge was nodding and was ap-
parently asleep, that the tcourt busi-
ness was being transacted; witness
thought Cowan was intoxicated.
.Maurer was cross examined at length