The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-19
PLOT TO RUIN A CLAIM
MADE BY THESE MEN
Sensational Actions Are Begun;
All Parties Prominent.

4HHiisapuiiS, April ID JcI)OSlliOliS
taken in Minneapolis were filed last
week in lawsuits involving three OF
the best-known men in Southwestern
Minnesota, two OF them now res
idents of Minneapolis. The suits
are pending before the district court
Of Lincoln county and may ultimate
I ~ be tried in Minneapolis.
The suits have been filed. one by
a minister who lives in Minneapolis,
the other by one of The leading
physicians OF Southern Minnesota,
charging that Marcus Lauritsen,
former state senator and owner of
three banks in Lincoln county, and
who is now Il Minneapolis business
man, entered into "A conspiracy with
Il private detective agency TO ruin
the reputation of tile plaintiffs.
Sues Number of People.
Rev. ID. r. jenkins, 3Gl4 First
avenue S. congregational minister.
who has three congregations in Lin
coin county. is suing Mr. Lauritsen,
The Thiel Detective Service company,
H. H. Baldwin, St Paul, manager
OF the detective agency, and Phema
Schumacher. formerly employed as
4 woman operative, for $4,000 dam
ages DR. \. j. Cox. practicing
physician of Tyler. Mimi, is suing
Mr.. Lauritsen, the Deceive agency,
and Mr.. Baldwin for $4,000 The
two plaintiffs assert that Mr. Bald
win entered into n conspiracy with
Mr.. Lauritsen 10 ruin their rep
utations and that Miss Schumacher
was one of the agents employed in
the plot 10 discredit them In sup
post OF their contentious they offer
the testimony Of the woman detec.
tive herself This testimony. taken
in the form OF Il deposition in Min
ncapolis. March II, WAS obtained
after a 5.000-mile search for Miss
Schumacher. The State Detective
agency OF Minneapolis, acting for
Rev. Mr. Jenkins and DR.. Cox, final
~ located the woman in Los Angeles
and she was brought back TO Min
neapols as witness.
Prominent People Are involved.
Mr. Lauritsen has been prom.
inent resident OF Lincoln county for
many years. He is the president of
the State bank of Tyler and two
other banks, Is Il large holder OF
prominent among the Danish-Amer
leans of the state. nr Cox has lived
in Tyler for years, is one OF the
CHIEF stockholders i'll the First Ma
tional bank OF Tyler, and has been
active in the work of the Congregi-
tional church. Rev. Mr.. Jenkins has
congregations in Tyler, Lake Benton
and Verdi, all in Lincoln county.
His home, however, is in Minneap-
oils.
Mr. Lauritsen was member of the
legislature in 1907 and 1908 In
1908 he ran for the state senate.
His candicy was opposed by DR.. Cox
and Mr.. Perkins. For some time
prior to this the community had
been split in two factions, one with
Mr.. 14auritsen as one Of the leaders.
the other with DR.. Cox as one OF the
leaders Mr. Lauritsen was beaten
in his fight for the senate.
Tale Of Alleged Conspiracy.
Mr.. Jenkins and DR.. Cox assert in
their lawsuits that Mr. Lauritsen,
wishing to discredit them, entered
into an agreement with Mr.. Baldwin
of the Thiel Detective agency. Rev.
Mr.. Jenkins asserts that Miss Schu-
maCher was employed by the agency
10 20 10 Tyler, that she was instruct
ed 10 get him in some situation
which would compromise him to
spread the news Of his conduct by
means OF the village 'gossiper."
Miss Schumacher in her deposition
says she went 10 Tyler and
made the minister's acquaintance
by posing as a Bible selling.
agent. She says that she was
unable TO discredit him, that Mr..
Jenkins, so far as she could learn, is
Il man of excellent character and
that she made the deposition of
her own free will in order to right
the wrong she had done him. Miss
Schumacher says that she did not
know 1T any time that Mr.. Lanritsen
had any interest in the case, but
that she was introduced To him by
Mr.. Baldwin as Mr.. Johnson" nj al
meeting in ST. Paul before she be.
gan her work.
Story Told BY DIR. Cox.
DR.. Cox, suing for $4,000. declares
that two women. one of them Miss
Schumacher, were employed by the
detective agency at Mr.. Lauritsen's |
TO frame" case against |!
him on charge of malpractice, that I
the woman appeared before a grand i
jury at Mankato in an effort TO have /
him indicted. and that the grand jury I
refused to indict him.
In the suits Of James Manahan of /
Minneapolis is representing Rev.
Jenkins, and State Senator o. A.
Lende OF Candy, is counsel for DIR.
Cox. Through his attorneys. Simp-
son, Lancaster and Purdy OF Min
neapols, Mr.. Lauritsen has entered
4 general denial in the cases. He
asserts that the charge of a conspir-