Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-17

HatCh, w. ~. SWlSner.
A surprise was sprung in district
court yesterday, when the prosecution
attempted to connect Mrs. George
Fortune with the Fortune case now
being heard in court, by placing on
the stand George Harriet, the com
planning witness against Fortune et
al, who swore that Mrs. Fortune had
offered to Elk it, so that he could
peddle without a license in Bismarck
If he would give her certain articles
out of his pack. Harriet is the AS
syrian peddler who charges that he
was robbed of lot of his goods and
some money by Fortune, Mason and
Casselman.
The case of State VS.. George For
tune, formerly chief of police of this
city, is the first of the series OF
grand larceny cases to be called in
district court. Other cases are pend
ing against Charles Mason, former
patrolman on the police force, and
W. e. Casselman, police magistrate
Mrs. Fortunes Offer.
George Harriet, the Assyrial ped
dler, was the first witness sworn FOL
the state He first told the story OF
how he was arrested ,on September
: "a by Fortune for peddling without
license.
Harriet claims that he was taken
to the city hall, downstairs, and that
here $46 in cash and part of large
grip full of goods was taken from
him by Chief Fortune and Patrolmar
Mason. That he was tnen thrown
into cell and locked up and after an
hour or SO Judge Casselman appear
ed and told him that unless he paid
$25 he would get 80 days in jail.
Witness went on to say that nc
protested, but Casselman said ne
would give him 80 days anyway. he
was fined $25 and told to get out OF
town quick. Mason, he says, called
an auto and loaded this witness into
the car, threw his grip in and took
him to the Missouri river bridge, tell
ing him never to come back or he
would be fined some more.
After Mason left him, Harriet says
he opened his grip ald inspected his
stock and found that part OF his goods
were gone.
He walked to Mandan and retained
Attorney William LANCER to repre-
sent him. Attorney LANCER came tc
Bismarck and investigated the case
and the investigation resulted in 8
search of the houses of Fortune and
Casselman. CONSTABLE Watkins made
the search. No goods were found in
Casselman's house, but goods which
the Assyrian claims to be his were
found in the Fortune house, in the
attic.
Where Mrs. Fortune Comes In.
Harriet testified today. that he was
in Bismarck a week before he was
arrested by Chief Fortune, for the
purpose Of peddling his goods, and
that among the houses he visited al
this time was the Fortune home. He
says he did not know that the CHIEF
of police lived there until after he
knocked at the door,
He says that he was invited inside
to show his goods by Mrs. Fortune
and that he stepped inside for this
purpose. Mrs. Fortune, he says, ask
ed him, then, if he had a license to
peddle. Harriet told her that he had
not. 1t was then, the witness said
that Mrs. Fortune told him that if he
would give her table cover valued
at IS, which was among the things he
had shown her, she would fix it sc
that he would not have to get Ii
cense to peddle that day. Harriet
says he told her that was too much
for one days peddling, and Mrs. For.
tune then said that she would call
the chief, her husband, and tell him
of Harriet's peddling without a Ii
cense. She was unable to get the
chief on the phone at this time, he
says.
The witness went on to say that
Mrs. Fortune then remarked that If
he would give her the table cover
and silk scarf she would Elk it, SO
that he could ,peddle several days
without license. Harriet still
thought that she wanted too much.
Shown Other Goods.
This was all brought out by Harriet
himself, without any cross-examina-
tion whatever. Witness told his story
freely and easily. he went on to
say that Mrs. Fortune had shown him
other goods which she told him she
had gotten from other peddlers under
similar circumstances. Among the
goods she showed him, witness testi.
fed, was a piece of dress goods she
said was worth SIG.
Witness swore positively that he
had never been to the Fortune house,
only the time described above and
when he went there with Mr.. LANCER,
lContinued on Page Two)