The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-19
GERMAN BOOK
READ TODAY IN
WlSHEK TRIAL
Partner of Ashley Banker Says
ltWas Circulated to Edu-
cate the People
DEFENDANT IN A DENIAL
Says He Did Not Tell Secret
Service Man He Was Work.
ing Against the u. S.

The reading Of interesting chapters
from German Achievements in Amer
tca." q novel volume circulated in Nc
Intosh county by John H. Wishek, for
the education Of the people, will con
clude the trial of the wealthy Ashley
banker in U. 8. district court here on
a charge Of interfering with the sale
of Liberty bonds The government
will read excerpts to show that the
book is sediti0us and that Wishek was
guilty of dislOyalty in circulating it.
The defense will read excerpts by
which it offers to prove that the book
is patriotic and the right sort of read
ing matter to be consumed by the
Germans of Mcintosh county.
The Wishek trial opened July 9 and
has not run exactly ten days. 1t has
been comparatively devoid of sensa-
ti0n, although the prosecution has not
spared Wishek's private and business
life in an effort to prove him an un-
desirable citizen generally. The great
er part of the courts time the last
week has been taken up with the
prosecutions attempts to tear down
and the defense's efforts to build up
the reputation of the accused
Hildreth Springs Surprises.
District Attorney Melvin A. Hill
dreth resOrted to one Of his favOrite
surprise" attacks this morning when
he concluded hi sexaminatiOn Of |. r..
Mackoff, law partner of John Wishek,
with the question:
''DO you know that you are yourself
nn1a, ,ynfor s{NNoSti02t ti0u?''
On objection Of counsel for the de-
answer, and the qnesti0n>was stricken
from the records. Mackoff. had told
OF the cOnvergat ton: betw tween Esswein,
government operative, .and Wishek, at
! which Mackoff was present. At this
conference held IN the Wtshek 4
MackkoH law offices, 'Mackof stated he
had protested: imputations from Ess-
vein that Wishek was disloyal and
not good citizen. Mackoff had ex-
planned that in ordering and distribut-
ing the book, German Achievements
in America" Wishek did it to educate
his people, believing it would make
them better Citizens
On examination by the defense
Mackoff told of conversations with
Miller, Alias Jones, government op-
erative who earlier appeared in the
trial as a man Of mystery, and who
was Immediately subpOenaed by the
defense. Miller, or Jones, said Mack
of, had asked him to contribute to a
fund to provide comforts for interned
Germans in America whom Miller said
were not being fairly treated.
II was convinced before l met Mil
ler that he was secret service man."
said Mack0ff.
.&"Did you know" asked Hildreth on
cross examination, "that he had list
of 20 Mcintosh citizens who had con-
tributed to this fund, and did you
know that two Of these men were in
Ashley, and that one of them was a
public official:"
II did not" replied Mackoff.
when he asked me to contribute l
told him the interned Germans de-
served what they were getting-that
they had earned It.
: Mackoff stated he was not disposed
to aid Miller with his Investigations
because he knew from experience
there were various types OF secret
service men, and he did not know that
Miller was in the employ of the gov
ernment. He thought Miller might be
employed by the opposition banking
interests in Ashley.
The kalsers Pictures.
Much stress was laid upon the pos
sibility of the kaiser's picture having
looked down on John Wishek, Cash
ier Wilbur Johnson and others who
had lunch together at Burnstad in
June, 1917 when the navy came up
for discussion, one of the diners be-
ing a certain MacKay who had spent
eight years in the navy. Roy Arntz'
burnstad butcher, stated ne was pres
ent. He could not recall whether the
kaiser's picture was there at the tlme,
although he had seen it frequently in
years past in the home Of the hotel
proprietor when he lived on farm.
Arntz stated he did not hear Wishek
say that the American navy was rot
ten, as Roy O'Day had testified for
the prosecution on the previous day.
Wishek Makes Denial.
Wishek, taking the stand again IN
his own behalf, denied that he had
stated to Esswein that he, Wishek,
had been working against the govern
ment He said he knew at the time
of the interview that Esswein was a
government operative. Wishek also
said that he did not say the navy was
rotten, but that he had engaged Mac
Kay in conversation about the navy
because his son, Carl Wishek, attend
ing Penn university at Philadelphia.
had visited the navy yard there, and
had written his mother long letter.
Nishek said he wanted to check. UP
his sons statement and ascertain how
much the youngster knew on the sub
ject. 7.-.
Rev, Nuss Testifies.
Rev. Nuss, who resigned the pastor