Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-31
REV. FONTANA
RECENEDBIBLE
FROMKMSER'
Kaiser Was a Man Of Peace;
Had Kept Peace in Ger
many for 40 Years.

presentation Of a bible to Rev. "A. l..
Fontane's church at New Salem by
Kaiser Wilhelm, some time prior to
November 1915, were admissible evil
dence vas one of the important ques-
tions which arose this morning in the
Is charged with violating the espion-
age act Of Juno is. 1917. by interior
ing or attempting to interfere with
the sale Of Liberty bonds.
District Attorney Hildreth argued
that the evidence should be admitted
for the reason. He claimed, that it
covered one of a chain of acts which
connected the defendant with the
crime Of which he now Is accused. He
held that the evidence was as ad-
lmissable az It would be to show that a
man who had robbed a bank had pur-
chased dynamite a year in advance OF
the act, or n1troglycerin six months in
advance of the crime. The court
held, on the contrary, that the gov
eminent was seeking to make q crime
Of acts which at the time they were
clared war on Germany, were not
criminal.
The Kaiser's Bible. ID
e. e. Podall, assistant cashier in
the Farmers & Merchants State bank
Of New Salem. in which the Rev. Fon-
tana Is a stockholder, was the witness
from whom the government sought
! testimony as to the kaiser's bible in
Rev. Fontana's church. Podall testi-
fed that he went to New Salem in
November, 1916. and that he attended
Rev. Fontana's church because there
was no other going institution OF the
Protestant denomination at that time,
He understands and speaks and reads
German, but is an American: He had
attended Rev. Fontana's church sew
eral times after June is, 1917.
District Attorney Hildreth at this
point asked whether the bible in this
church was not a. gift from the Ger
man emperor. Judge Knauf OF
defense, objected, and the court sus-
.tained him, .Podall was allowed to
testify that the bible had been receive
ed some time prior to 1916, when he
came, to New Salem, and an argument
rs to the admissability Of this line Of
evidence then began.
Sinking of LuAtania Was Humane Act
1.-THE sinking Of the Lusitania was a
humane act, because the Lu6itania
= carried ammunition which would have
been used in killing Germans. and the
sinking Of the Lusitania saved the
lives Of these Germans"
41l1S, ,SA4O y. L. 0l4l6s CdSulCI VI IA0
First National bank of New Salem,
and one, of. the first witnesses for the
government, was a statement made to
him by Rev. Fontana last October,
when. Killing, as a memberfof h New
Salem Liberty loan committee, called
upon the rector for q subscription.
'F.ontaIa told me that Wilson was
elected to keep us out of war and that
b.:tad then exposed us to war and
- = : ~,Su FNpnaA ,1o fnfAHft Wilson Nn1HlH
do this, he said, because he had some
thing on every member of congress.
He told me he did not want. to buy
Liberty bonds or to use his influence
in any way to prolong the wal. I no
ticed/a picture of the kaiser hanging
in his room. and I asked him II he
knew the kaiser. He said he knew
the kaiser to be q maj Of peace, that
he had kept peace In Germany for
forty years, and that the world could
thave peace now II it would accept his
terms He has offered peace, why
don't they accept his terms?' Fontana
asked.
I'm defending the sinking Of the
Lusitania. Fontana said the United
States would have done the same
thing under the circumstances"
mony, contending that it was irrela-
tive, inasmuch as the Lusitania was
sunk before America declared war on
Germany The prosecution retorted
that this conversation was had in Oc-
tober, 1917, months after war had
been declared, and the court sustain
ed the government. &
"Rev. Fontana told me he couldn't
help but be proud Of the fight the
witness. 'TIe told me he wouldn't
sign for any Liberty bonds or Wal