The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-12
NOn-Partisan Leader
Faces Charges Of
Trying to Hinder
EnliStrnentS.

Fairmont. Mimi, March 11.--While
a. c. Townely, president of the Ma
tional Non Partisan league. was in
Fairmont today awaiting action of the
Martin county grand jury. which to-
morrow will consider a charge of cir
culating n seditious pamphlet against
him. Sheriff Q. G. Lee. slipped over
from Jackson county and arrested him
on n charge OF conspiring to obstruct
the nations military policies.
Townley Immediately was arraigned
before Judge c. NJ. Tiff, who is sit
ting for Judge Dean, and bound over
TO the Jackson county grand jury in
$1,000 bail. The bond was furnished
by four Martin county farmers. An
gust r. Krumwelde. George +. Krum.
wstde. ]. A. Ringeisen and Wilbur
Sherman. Only one Is a member Of
the league. Townley and Joseph Gil.
bert. manager OF the league. arrived
here today in answer to a charge pre-
ferred week ago by County Attorney
Albert r. Allen. who holds that the
language in the Nom Partisan league
campaign literature is such as to him
der the prosecution of the war. They
were accompanied by Attorneys f. A.
Pike and II. A. Paddock and L. w.
Samuelson. formerly OF the league
executive committee. At 9 p. m.. the
party appeared before Judge Tifft
with a motion that Townley and Oh
bert be allowed to return to st. Paul.
pending consideration OF their case by
the grand jury as they "were very
busy men,"
Aftsr Him Three Weeks.
County Attorney Albert objected and
the motion was not argued. II see
no reason why they should be allowed
to leave the county while their cases
are before the grand jury" said Mr..
Allen. ut Ia not customary"
The Jackson county warrant served
on Townley II the one that Sheriff Lee
has been endeavoring to serve for
three weeks. It grew out Of a speech
made at I.akefield by Gilbert, in which
he is alleged to have said that the gov
ernment had asked farmers to sub.
scribe for Liberty bonds and other war
funds and now was taking their sons.
AS the league is not Incorporated,
Townley is held to be Gilbert's en-
,nents. The executive heads of the
organization therefore, are charged in
Jackson county as well as Martin, with
ohstructing the military policies of the
United States.
Gilbert Under Sentence.
Gilbert was arrested shortly after he
made the speech and is now under
bonds in Jackson county. In addition
he is under sentence of three months
In the Jackson county jail for unlawful
assemblage. This case has been ap-
pealed.
Townley would make no comment on
his arrest by Sheriff Lee.
IT'S all In the game" said Attor-
ney Pike.
Townley declared that the league is
getting ready to 'pay more attention
to southern Minnesota"
In charging the grand jury. Judge
Tiff called special attention to the
state anti -disloyalty statute.
"As you all know" he said, I'VE are
in war and any matter that tends to
hinder the government must be
handled without fear or favor. Under
this law. 1t is illegal TO publish or cir
culate any book or pahmplet teaching
or advocating that men should not en-,
list or serve their country In Other
ways You should approach these
cases with o spirit of fairness, bu'
-,.a ~r-ixt, firynneco