The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-11-23

in the conspiracy to burn Chief Of
Police Coacher's barn.
Stricken has not been indicted
and is still being held a prisoner
by the government.
Gunderson was arrested under
the name of Carl Larson at Benson.
Minn., on a charge of assaulting
conductor on the Great Northern
railway. He had in his possession
at that time a gun believed to have
been furnished him at the l. w. w.
headquarters in Minneapolis, 38
special on As frame.
Mr.. Deacon said that Gunderson
admitted the mailing of the phos-
phorus. He was held on the state
charge and later released to the
federal authorities. He and
companion, "Frenchy," who was
given 80 days, carried guns SINH
lar to twenty specimens Of the l.
w. w. heavy artillery" captur-
ed in a raid on Minneapolis head
quarters.
Dawn said that Gunderson took q
trip to Mitchell with another I. w.
w. about the time the livery barn
there was destroyed by fire, pre-
sumably Of incendiary origin, and
at a loss of $4,000.
The government agents have in
their possession literature and
propaganda of the Agricultural
Workers Industrial union OF the
]. w. w. showing that in retail
alton to the governors and home
guards action in repressing vio-
lence and sabotage in Sou;h Dakota,
/ they declared a strike against the
farmers. This strike was unsuc-
cessful, due to the efforts of the
police and home guard.
Chief of Police Coacher's barn
was burned, the officers say, as the
direct retaliatory reply to the ac-
tion taken by the home guards in
raiding their headquarters here and
driving the members from the
county.
Direct action" on the job is
their motto, according to Dawn.
Gunderson, he said, was the man
that, in the language of the jun
giles, turned the cat loose in Abb
berdeen.
| John E. Dawn, who confessed he
had acted as ''spot.er'' for the |.
w. w., was the principal witness
for the government.
His duties, he testified, were to
travel, over the country and "spot"
elevators that could be burned or
blown up easily. Other alleged
members of the gang followed his
reports with actual work Of des-
truction.
Dawn related that in the jungles
Of Appleton. Mimi. Gunderson,
soon after the destruction of the
Aberdeen Transfer company's barn,
told an |. w. w. assemblage how
he had set fire to the barn by
means Of phosphorus placed in a
haymow.
Other witnesses testified that
! Gunderson had received q quantity
Of phosphorus from North Dakota
members of the organization. who
sent it from Fargo and that he for
warded it to Jack Nelson" at
Milbank. S. D. When Brown,
posing as Jack Nelson,' called
for the registered package of phos-
phorus at the postoffice he was ar
rested.
Dawn testified later that after
Gunderson was at Appleton, he
went to St. Paul and returned to
Milbank. where he displayed q
large roll of bills. Later he and
another l. w. w. went to Mitchell,
where soon afterward . large barn
was burned.
Sentenced
Stanley Brown and Martin Gun
derson, l. w. W.'s and members
Of the phosphorus gang, convicted
of conspiracy to misuse the mails,
were sentenced to two years i'm
prisonment in the United States
penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan.,
and were fined $1,000 each by
Judge Youmans IN federal court,
here, this afternoon.
In passing sentence upon Brown
and Gunderson Judge Youmans
said he regretted the statute did
not provide = heavier penalty, as
the disclosures in their case war
ranted much more severe punish.
ment.