The Mankato free press., 1918-07-05
Hearing Of Bush and Son in
Municipal Court Today
D. WILLIAMS ON STAND
Nonpartisan Lacquer and Wit
nesses Admitted They We're
Some Scared
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Charles -us.1 anc son, Harland
Bush, of Madison Lake were. in the
municipal court this morning on the
complaint of d. l.. Williams, VINO al
leges that the men assaulted him in
the fracas that occurred at Madison
Lake on June IS when the Nonpartl-
san leaguers were in the village.
ID. l.. Williams, William Knutson
and John Chambers, the three men In
the car at the time Williams alleges
he was assaulted, were called to the
witness stand this morning. Court
was adjourned at noon until Friday
morning, July 5, when the trial OF the
case will be resumed. Attorney S. b.
Wilson represented the defendants in
the case and County Attorney j. W.
Schmitt had charge of the case for
the state.
d. L. Williams was the first witness
called to the stand. He stated that
the two defendants, Charles and Har7
land Bush, held him up with two
shotguns, demanded that he stop his
machine and held there while the
league and Lindbergh banners were
ripped off the car. Williams SAID the
barrel of the gun was held within
foot and half of his head. He said
he was "kind of scared
Williams Cross Examined.
Under cross examination by Attor-
ney Wilson, Williams denied that he
was running for the. state senate on
the ticket of the Nonpartisan league.
Later he admitted that he was en-
dorsed for office by that or
ganization He claimed that ne
had no idea there was any
one i'm Madison Lake opposed to the
league until he arrived in the village.
Trouble was in the air, men were
running about with clubs and there
was a general indication of rioting
and disorder, Williams stated. He
admitted that he knew the sheriff OF
the county had forbidden the Non
partisans to hold meetings here but
said the tour was held to get the
members better acquainted and to
boost the candidacy of Charles A.
Lindbergh for governor.
"Also to boost Jim Peterson for the
United States senate said Mr.. Will
son.
"No sir, we never supposed Peter
SON." declared Williams and became
much excited over Attorney Wilson's
remark.
"The league never stood behind
Peterson" he said. 81 never sup
ported the man."
Asked what banners were torn
from his car Williams said the ma
chine was stripped of everything.
'Do you mean to- say that Ameri-
can flags were torn down." questioned
Mr.. Wilson.
"Yes," replied Williams, in an in
jured tone. Flags were torn down;
lots of them"
What Did Leaguers Do?
"Well what did you and all the
leaguers gather there to do to the
: men who tore down the flags" coun-
tered Attorney Wilson.
why" stammered Williams, 1--WE
weren't able to do much of anything.
What could we do; they were all
against u.s.
"Why haven't you brought action
against some of these men if they
tore down or descrated the flag?"
he was asked.
The would be-senator" replied that
he did not know who the men were
that tore off the flags. He admitted
that he did not know the men who
pointed the gun at him, either but
found out later.
William KnutsOn, young lad of
sixteen years, who drove the Will
liams car in the melee was able to
give but little light on the matter
beyond what Williams had stated. He
said repeatedly: 81 got so excited
when l saw the gun just let go of
the steering wheel and don't know
what did happen"
The cross examination of John
Chambers was not completed when
court was adjourned. Mr.. Chambers
told about the same story as the two
preceding witnesses, regarding the
threatening attitude of Bush, father
and son, armed with single barreled
shotgun each, so he claimed He said
that the barrels of the two guns
pointed straight at u.s. Later in
cross examination he seemed unable
to quite tell how the two gun barrels
pointed straight at" three persons in
the car at once