The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-17
MINISTER'S GOES
TO FEDERAL PEN
FOR FORGERY OF
name

A. w. MCMaSLerSt d LhiuSL IOSlS
ing near Donnybrook, confessed in
the United states district court in
Fargo today that he was the author
of a, seditious letter addressed to
Lieutenant Q'Iseary, A: p. F. to
which he forged the name of Deli
Patterson, member of the legislature
from Renville county.
On each of the several counts on
which he was indicted. McMasteTs
was sentenced to serve three years
in the federal prison at Leaven-
worth, sentences to run concurrent
McMasters told the court that he
was Patterson's opponent for the
legislature, and that the idea of
writing the letter as means Of get
ting Patterson in wrong had oc-
Cured to him. McMasters is AZ
years old, and was accompanied ~
court by his wife and child: He was
employed, in Washington, D. c., by
Senator McCumber and Senator
Gronna for periods between 1909 and
1911. McMasters came TO Fargo o.
his own volition after his indict-
ment recently. He was not repre-
sented by counsel in court.
Minot, N. D, oct. 17.-Attorney g..
S. Wooledge Of Minot, who turned
the So called Patterson letter" over
over to the government for investi-
cation, stated today that the reports
as given in the Fargo Socialist news
paper to ~the effect that the letter
was being used for political purposes
to discredit Mr.. Patterson are en-
tirely untrue. Mr.. Wooledge says
that he never at any time charged
Mr.. Patterson with writing this let
ter; that it was largely through his
efforts that the matter was success
fully run down by the government,
and that it was he that determined
for the government, through hand
writing specimens obtained by him,
that the letter was not written by
Mr.. Patterson.
Mr.. Wooledge denies that the let
ter was in his possession at the time
of the Democratic convention at Bis
marck in September, stating that he
had previously turned this letter over
to u. S. Attorney Hildreth on Aug.
%.
"The latter part Of August Chief
Of Police Dan Dougherty Of this city
received a letter. from Lieut.. VIM.
lO'Leary in which O'Leary enclos-
ed a. seditious, letter that had been
addressed and mailed to him in
France" says Mr.. Wooledge. MIR.
Dougherty Immediately turned the
letter over to me, and on Aug. 20, 1
turned the letter over to u. s. Ate
torneyS Hildreth of Fargo for 1nyesti-
cation and such action as the gov
eminent might take. The seditious
letter had been mailed at Tolley on
June 20, 1918, as shown by the post
mark on the envelope.
Soldier Suggested Action.
t'Mr. O'Leary did not think that
Patterson had written the letter, all
though it was signed G.. Patterson
for O'Leary says in his letter to
Dougherty: i will enclose the en-
velope as in case you arc lucky
enough to get line on the send
er, YOU may need same. Perhaps
some fool wrote the letter and it may
not be worth while bothering with
would say that some woman wrote
it. Sit tight. Well take Townley aft
err Biz
:."At the same time that I turned
the letter over to Mr.. Hildreth," says
Attorney Wooledge, Il turned over
some specimens of Mr.. Pattersonss
hand writing and later turned over
other specimens which showed that
the letter was not in the hand writ
| ing of Mr.. Patterson Of Donnybrook,
and / conferred with the government
officers, going to Fargo at my own
expense, and assisted them in To-
eating the alleged writer Of the let
ter, who has now been indicted. Thls
letter was not in my possession at
| the time of the Democratic conyen-
ton at Bismarck, as / had turned
| the same over to the government
before that time together with speci-
mems of Mr. Patterson's hand writ
ling. did not discuss the letter with
ANYONE except making such investt-
CATION that might lead to the true
writer of the letter regardless OF
whom it might be, Recause / strong
iIy felt that anyone who would write
4 such a letter in war time to a sol
idier, no matter under what scheme
or circumstance, should be prosecut-
ed, No one has publicly connected
Mr.. G.. Patterson with this letter
THAT / know of except the Courier
News, and i was very much sur
lprised at the publicity given the mat
ter in The Courier News on Sept. o
at a time when the matter was be-
ling investigated by the federal auth
!oritfes. because that publicity farnp-
cred the government in locating the
alleged true writer of the letter
Expose Government Hand
I'm times like these I feel that al
i citizens, and especially the press,
should assist the government instead
jof hindering it especially in mat
tiers of running down violations Of
our sedition laws I should have
CnIdEngo and CaREaVe naE SBohsgopS