Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-21
BREWERYCASE !. !.
TESTIMONY IS
STARTED TODAY.
Task Of Securing Jury 70.
Hear Evidence IS Diff
cult One.
SPECIAL N
IS SUMMONED
U. S. Attorney Hildreth; Out
lines Case Frank Hall
First Witness.

Inc case OF the against
the East Grand Forks Brewing COM
pany, ct al, who are charged with
conspiracy and with violation Of the
act Of March g., 1917. commonly
known as the federal bone dry act,
trict court before Judge c.. r. Amidon
this morning by United States District
Attorney NJ. A. Hildreth, who briefly
outlined the essential features Of the
case.
The task of finding q jury proved
an exceedingly difficult one. and each
talesman WAS questioned with extra
ordinary care by counsel for both
sides. The examination of talesmen
began yesterday afternoon, but at the
noon recess yesterday, the panel had
been exhausted. A special panel of
fifteen talesmen was then called from
Fargo and appeared in court this
morning at 10 O'clock. At that time
only nine men were in the jury box.
tentatively accepted and passed for
cause by both sides.
Some Of the questions hurled at the
ta.esmen were: "Doayou believe in
the enforcement Of the bone dry law
in PARTICULAR" Are you q, member
Of the law enforcement league, or
have you eve contributed money to
the cause which it re~presented?"
AS to the latter question, one man
admitted that he had been a con-
tributor and was speedily eliminated
from further consideration. ai
Another talesman had heard the
East Grand Forks brewery case dis
cussed in various parts of the north
west, particularly in St. Paul. Still
another admitted that he had a certain
prejudice in favor of special enforce
ment of the bone dry law.
One Fargo man was asked: y
did you talk to anyone about this
case?
yes" he answered.
"When?" .' Z
Last night"
Last night? To whom?"
my Wife"
This talesman admitted that he was
a strongly determined temperance
man and was not sure whether or not
his. present views of the liquor trade
could be overcome by the evidence
to be presented in the course of the
trial. Several men were excused by
consent because they admitted bias,
and a large number were excused aft
err having been challenged by counsel
for either the prosecution or the de-
Tense. F"" -" ~ ~
Finally at 1885 this morning the
jury had been completed and was
sworn in. The following men are
serving: :. ~
Olaf Pierson, Martin Erickson, r. p.
Olson, Fred w. Friss, George John
son, Ole Arnegaard, Martin Hagen, C..
H" Hoench, c.. H. Lossnes, Henry
Rusch, w. A. Yoden and August Han
son. 2
At the counsel's tables sat United
States District Attorney Hildreth, As
sistant District Attorney John Car
\ ~, = Al n ~ A rcsc%o Mt Atf0N1aVv Hyn~n~A
Of North Dakota H. A. Bronson, repre-
senting the government; on the other
side of the table were George "A.
! Bangs and George r. Robbins, repre-
senting the defendants. John H. Nc
1nerny, Mrs. McInerny and Mrs. Mar
garet White, defendants in the case,
were likewise seated inside the rail-
ing. - :
Following the completion Of the
jury, the talesmen of the extra panel
We're excused by the court and told
that they could return to their homes
and then Mr.. Hildreth delivered his
opening address to the jury, giving ar
outline of what the government ex.
poets to prove. Mr.. Hildreth sale
that the government will prove tina,
the bone dry act was violated by the
defendants chiefly through the EN-.
lployment of a contract system which
was characterized as a "mere subter'
fuge," and he added hat as far a:
the prosecution was concerned. it wa.
immaterial whether or not the beer
imported into the state Of North Da.
kota had been for the personal con
sumption Of the importer.
Frank Hall, who gave much test
mony at the time Of the preliminar.
hearing in the beginning Of last Au'
gust, was the first witness called fol
direct examination by the govern.
ment. He testified that he had beer
one of the contract holders in thu
East Grand Forks Brewing company
and that The frequently had brough'
beer into this state in interstate con
merce, from Minnesota.