The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-07
Testifies in Trial at Bis
marck That She Did Not
Oppose Enlistment
VERACITY OF
WITNESSES UP
They Tell Widely Varying
Stories of Socialists
Lecture at Bowman

Bismarck, N. D., Dec. Tissues at
the close OF the second days trial
In United States district court . Of
Mrs. Kate Richards O'Hare, Saint
Louis Socialist and author, former
editor Of The Buzz Saw and who has
held every national and international
elective office in the gift of the
Socialist party in the United States
had developed largely into a question
Of veracity and fallibility OF wit
nesses. Thursday morning the gov
ernment introduced a half-dozen wit
nesses who were positive they had
heard Mrs. O'Hare say that Ameri-
can women who become pregnant to
produce sons to become cannon-fod-
der were no better than brood -sows
on Montana stock ranches. and that
she said that young men of America
who enlisted in the army were fit
only to fertilize the soil of France
with their blood. Thursday after
noon the defense produced an equal
number of witnesses equally as posi-
tive that Mrs. O'Hare's reference to
brood sows was made in connection
with her statement that European
women had been commanded to give
themselves to their soldiers that the
latter might breed before they die,
and that her reference to the blood
Of American soldiers fertilizing the.
soil Of France was made in a diff
ferent spirit than reported, and that
she had asked Gods blessing for the
young men who chose to enlist and
had insisted that she not be under
stood or quoted as opposing enlist
ment in the United States army.
Totten Charges Politics.
z. p. Totten, Judge of Bowmani
county and prominent in Nonpartisan
politics, was the defense's first wit
ness following Mrs. O'Hare, herself.
Totten stated the Socialists Of Bow
man were instrumental in getting
Mrs. O'Hare there and that the
Socialists represented one village
faction and that all of the witnesses
for the government represented the
other.
Totten admitted that he was not
himself friendly to any of the wit
nesses for the government, and Judge
Wade insisted that neighborhood
squabbles not be made a basis for
the adjudication Of the case.
Defends Woman.
Mrs. e. p. Totten, postmistress at
Bowman, whom Senator McCumber
sought to have removed after she
had entertained Mrs O'Hare at her
home, admitted on the stand that
she was friendly to the defendant
and in accord with her. She stated
that she wanted TO see her get a
square DEAL" and that she had talk
ed the matter over since Mrs. o.
Hare's indictment with her husband, |
Judge Totten. She admitted there
were young people of both sexes in |
Mrs. O'Hare's audience, but protested |
no words were used which need give |
oftense.
Charles ID. Olson, a farmer mem
ber Of the Nonpartisan league. was
among the witnesses for the defense.
He approved Of what he heard Mrs. 1
O'Hare say in her Bowman lecture.
John Williams, another Bowman
farmer, asked on cross examination
said he didn't believe she needed any
He attended all lectures
that came his way. but never had
attended a temperance lecture, "be-
cause they don't have them in Bow
man"
The prosecution sprung a surprise
on the defense's last witness of the /
afternoon when u. 8. Attorney Hill
dreth on cross examination thunder
ed at Mrs =. J. Cuett, wife of a
Bowman barber:
DiQ you KNOW EmaL your husDaMu
had been reported to the government
as a man who was having congre-
gate, at his place OF business, men
who are opposed to the war meas
ares Of this government"
Mrs. Cuett replied in the negative.
She stated she did know her hus-
band TO be a Socialist and that The
Buzz Saw had until recently been a
regular visitor at their home and
mat she read II faithfully.
Mrs. O'Hare On Stand.
Kate Richards o'Hare. nrst Wit
ness in her own behalf. told the jury
that while she hated war and was
opposed to III: and while
she was a Socialist, believing
thoroughly in the tenets of that
Continued on page i0.l