Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-15
WRECK'lNC OF
! MlNOT AIM OF
TOWNLEYITES
Attempting to Divide United
Minot Before the
Primaries.
Youmans, Townleyized, to
81 Enter Candidate for
President of City.

Minot. n. D.. May 14.-To divide a
United Minot just before the primary
election with the hope that such a di-
vision will assist in securing support
for Nonpartisan league candidates, Is
the general opinion gained by Mint
ers from recent activity of interests
representing President A. G. Townley
OF the Nonpartisan league. which has
resulted in league papers inferring
that local officials were in or a pre-
arranged plot to rave officers De-
vaney' and GOWN murdered, renewed
effort on the part Of the attorney
general to get" w. S. Shaw, former
president Of the Minots city commits
sion, and which will be responsible
for F.. l.. Watkins. superintendent OF
the State Law Enforcement league,
filing an application with Governor
Frazier asking for the removal OF
Chief Of Police Dan Dougherty.
A United Minot.
Minot has united as never before
during the past year. and such, unity
can he traced to the fact that patriot
ic citizens realized very early in the
war that efficiency in war work can
only come by close cooperation
among all classes of citizens. Such a
unity. brought on as it was by sin
certify in the cause Of the allies. gave
promise of great opposition to the
candidates selected to run for office
by the leaders of the Nonpartisan
league. There has been deep enmity
in the heart of Arthur LeSuer. O. NJ.
Thomson. A. E. Bowen. D. c. Dor
man, H. l.. Elliott and other promi-
nent league men for Minot. ever since
they failed in their effort to make it
a socialist city. These men were re-
sponsible for the 1. w. w. riots in Mi
not some years ago, and several OF
them were arrested for lawless ac-
tivities. Realizing the harm men OF
the stamp of LeSeuer, Dorman and
their aides could do with the hun
dreds of I. w. WIS who were flocking
to this city, Minot united and drove
them of. After the house-cleaning.
the above named Nonpartisan league
heavyweights sought a living at other
points Now they have Joined again
under Townley's lei and apparently
they hope to ever the score on Minot.
A United Minot working in harmony
for the good of the allies u was
league leaders. and heir aim for the
past year has been to tear Minot apart
with civic differences.
hangers Great Raid.
The first step toward carrying out
their plan toghelp the cause of Mr..
Townley by causing discord and strife
in Minot was made a year ago this
month. when Attorney General Lam
ger came to Minot and staged his So
called raid. Local officials had been
closing in on law violators and many
suspects had been arraigned and
bound v to the county and district
courts. The states attorneys Office
and police department were working
together securing evidence which
would insure penalty being meted out
to IN Of the accused found guilty.
LANCER came in with several assist
ants, including a representative of
the Fargo Courier-Eews, and rounded
up a large number of local parties.
Practically every one of them were
out on bonds for appearance at the
e session Of the county or district
court. Following their arrest by
LANCER they were induced to enter
pleas of guilty on a promise of light
sentences. This they did, as the court
records show. Had they been per-
mitted to come before juries at the
regular court terms. they would have
received sentences in accordance with
their ofrenses. The fact thai they did
not prompted practically all of them
to return to their old haunts and
habits. Since then the states attor-
ney's .oh1ce and police department
have been drawing the net together
again and cleaning up by degrees.