The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-13
So Testifes Teigen, Former
| j Personal Employe of
d League President -.
CHANGING BOOKS "
FOR INVESTIGATION
New Bookkeeping System
Emancipation of Fed
"a, eral Investigation
CBy Associated Press.l


figures nor records, comprised the
showing Of the National Nonpartisan
league and four allied organizations
before Referee in Bankruptcy Gideon
S. Ives, yesterday, when the ancil-
larry proceedings in the voluntary
bankruptcy case OF A c. Townley'
president Of the league. came before
him for hearing.
3. B. McCutcheon. trustee. through
his attorney. Francis Murphy OF Mi
not, N. D.. is endeavoring to find out
how much property Townley pos
sesses.
Books Of such organizations as the
National Nonpartisan league. the
Nonpartisan Publishing company, the
League exchange, the Consumers
Stores company. and the United
States Guarantee company, are heId
essential.
Murphy Asks For Books.
Mr.. Murphy sought to obtain an
agreement TO have the books brought
into court
George Nordlin. representative Of
the Thirty eighth district of St Paul
in the legislature. and F. A. Pike
were associated with William Lemke,
attorney for the league, in represent
ing the witnesses.
League Counsel Reluctant.
There seemed disposition on the
part Of the league counsel to put off
further divulging OF Mr.. Townley's
assets, following F. A. Teigen's eX-
pose at the hearing Tuesday. until
after the Minnesota primaries, June
II, and the North Dakota primaries,
June. 26. A boosted league member
ship Of 200, 900 is interested in learn
ing Of Townley's financial ability. In
asmuch as each has paid SIS into the
/ league treasury
+ -Townley and F. B. Wood are the
| only remaining witnesses upon whom
sHbpoenas have not been served.
, The witnesses present were Henry
i Teigen. Albert J. Fox. a copartner
! in the Nonpartisan Publishing COM
pany; George w. Purcell. subman-
! ager Of the publishing company; G.
! w. johnson. treasurer Of the Con-
sumers' Stores company. and Thomas
Keyes, treasurer and bookkeeper of
the Nonpartisan league.
On the promise Of attorneys to pro-
duce the accounts Of the National
Nonpartisan league and subsidiary
organizations, Gideon S. Ives, referee |
in bankruptcy. yesterday adjourned |
the bankruptcy hearing of A. C. |
Townley. head Of the league. until |!
June %.
st. Paul, Mimi. June 13.-F. A.
Teigen Of Montevideo, Mimi, former
organizer the Nonparthsan league |
and A. c.. Townley's confidential
agent before becoming an organizer,
testified Tuesday in the Townley |
bankruptcy proceedings before Gid
con s. Ives, referee in bankruptcy, |
that Townley told him he owned the |
NonEaTtisan league and was under |
obligations to no one.
Teigen gave the entire history Of |
his connection with the league and |
Mr. Townley, dating from October, |
1916, to Sept. 20. 1917.
Assets Near 100000.
He told Of Townley's holdings and |
estimated the assets Of these enter
prtses will total approximately ST. |
100000. He testified that Townley |
has collected approximately $4,000, 900 |
from the league and its subsidiary |
organizations.
That the league is not operated on
democratic basis was brought out |
i'll the hearing when Mr.. Teigen tes-
titled that the Nonpartisan league |
was conceived, planned and organ
ICED as an absolute autocracy, the !
power of control resting with A. c.. |
Townley.
AuSocPaGy hFouqhout,
All other ORGANIZATIONS, whether it |
he corporation or voluntary assoc:a-
tons, that have been organized with |
the consent and direction Of Mr. |
Townley, including the Consumers |
United Stores company and the diff |
ferent newspaper enterprises IN Fer |
go, Grand Forks and Minot, and the !
country newspapers are all auto |
cratically dominated through dunn |
mics by A. C. Townley, including the |
Western Service bureau, Of which |
Geo. Totten Of North Dakota at
one time was president and general |
manager.
information From ToWnIey.
Mr.. Teigen testified he procured |
this information from association |
with Townley, Arthur Ife Sueur and !
Joseph Gilbert, who are the control |
hing officers of the Nonpartisan |
league; J. w. Brinton. who is man
ager Of the Consumers Stores COM |
pany; o. T. Rishoff, manager Of the |
newspaper bureau; Jack Hastings, |
manager Of the financial department |
Of the league, and from correspOn-
dence with the various officials.
Said He Owned League.
Francis Murphy, Minot, n. D., at |
torney for the creditors brought out
plainly that Mr.. Townley had said
he owned the league. After Mr.. |
Teigen testified that Townley told |
him he controlled the Nonpartisan |
Publishing company and the Ncn- |
partisan Leader Murphy dealt with !
the ownership of the league.
He even asserted he owned the |
Eonpartisan Lacquer" Murphy asked. |
Yes, sir. He said he had organ |
lied it and built it himself and that |
MO- J1y7HAVs ANIic~o to = |
That is what he said?"
Those are his words. He said I |
organized 1t and built it myself and
am under obligations to nobody"
Financially Fixed. --. ..
Townley Is not dependent on the
Nonpartisan league or it's auxiliary |
organizations for a livelihood, ac-
cording to Teigen's testimony.
Did Mr.. ToWnley ever make any |
this: Whether the league stands or
falls, it makes no difference, for RI
ann financially fixed 2"
~ believe he has made such a
statement to me, but right at this
moment I can't recall the time or
place. He made such a statement
that ais far as finances are concerned
RI made no difference whether the
league were a success or failure, He
stated that to show he wasn't inter
ested in the further financial sue
cess of the league, but only in a po-
litical success"
1.-THE question is: Whether he
e9er made statement to you in sub
stance whether the league stands
o9 falls, 1T makes no difference, for
] am financially fixed2'"
No Need 10 Wetry.
He has made the statement in
ostazaca that whether the league