The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-24
BANKER FRIEND
THOUGHT TALK
WAS {; SPATRI0I'IC ]. ! I / |. | [ ! | /
LaMourc Man Who Knew Brin-
ton as Boy Tells Court
of Meeting
COULDN'T RECALL FLAG
Garrison Woman's Memory Poor
on One Point, Good on
Others
COULDN'T RECALL FLAG

s.t-l
Others
Banker Hunt of .eLaMOure, wht
knew Job w. Brinton as a boy at Fes
senden, testified In federal court thil
afternoon that he heard Brinton'!
Kuhn address and found nothing sedi
tious or disloyal in it. Mrs. Gail Kilt:
Of Garrison, who admitted that Mrs
J. E. Sullivan. wife OF the govern
ment's principal witness, had not beer
neighborly. thought, Brinton. had talk
ed patriotism about thirty minutes iI
his Garrison speech. She couldn't re
member what he said on this subject
nor could she recall whether there
was an American flag in the hall OF
whether any patriotic, hymns were
sung at the meeting. Her memory
was very clear, however, as to the
things which Brinton did not say. 81
mon Junks, a farmer and coal miner
living near Garrison, went on the
stand and corroborated other evidence
given by witnesses for the defense as
TO the guilelessness of Brinton's re.
marks at Garrison.
Aside from an admission on cross
examination from Mrs. A. B., Currier
publisher of q Garrison newspaper
which is friendly to the league, that
BrintOn talked patriotism five minutes
and steel trust and "Townley soup and
hn,1ru ond thSwt y ~, n.,H IN n o1s,
was brought out by the government
this morning in the trial OF j. w.
Brinton, general manager of the
Townley chain stores. .
l.. A. COmstadius,2 farmer residing
IA miles east of Garrison, who, was
presented with q homestead by Uncle
Sam. who Joined the league at its in
ception and has paid his dues regular.
ly, but who did /, ,nota fhave 9, sm0ney
enough to buy, Liberty bonds of the
First and Second issues. was another
Witness for the defense this morn
Ing. Mr.. COmstadius was. born in
,Sweden and homestead6d, in Mclean
county, where shs.s now, owns consider
Min land. While ;hs could mot at
ford (6 Invest Ii either the .first or
second Liberty loan and did not in
vest in the third. because the quota
was filled before they got around to
collect his subscription the Lacquer
Is possessor OF q hundred dollar
certificate in the Townley chain
stores. In: June he subscribed for
800. worth of Savings Stamps, but he
has not yet actually bought any
stamps. He agreed to buy in ,Septenl-
Der, he informed ithe court.
Ole Lee, another Garrison farmer.
was also placed son the stand by the
defense. He also waA a, ,h0mesteader,
settling in Mclean county 16 years
ago. He is a Lacquer, and he had
bought Liberty bonds, supported the
lied Cross and the Lutheran war fund.
He did not hear anything dislOyal in
Brinton's talk and stated that Brintor
did not make the declarations upon
which the governments indictment is
based.
Fraser Testifies.
Il. L. Fraser, league member OF
the last house of representatives, and
league candidate for state senator
from the Mclean county district, was
the most important witness for the de.
fense Tuesday afternoon in the trial
Of J. w. Brinton, Townley Chain
Stores general manager, under indict-
ment for sediti0n as, q result OF adj
dresses made to chain store certificate
holders at Garrison and Kuhn. Fraser
as chairman Of the Garrison meet
ing, introduced Brinton, and was de.
,o.;hoxl l>,,T U Cu11fvou ono 0f fhp
governments principal witnesses, as
Official clap.master."
Fraser heard Brinton say nothing
out of the way. He testified that Brin-
ton had stated that while the farmers
borrowed money at ten per cent to
buy bonds. profiteering corporations
were charging the government exorb'
liant profits, but that he, Brinton,
urged his hearers to buy bonds. He
heard Erinton make no reference to
the Kaiser. He couldn't recall the
exact figures BrintOn had used in de-
failing the profits of the Steel trust
and other corporations, but he said
the figures that had appeared in the
were correct
Fraser said he was not Nonparti-
san but q republican, although he en-
dorsed the principles of the Nonparti.
san league When Hildreth asked him
II 1t was not true that Sullivan had I;
opposed him politically and had brand. |
ed him as socialist and man un- !
fit to hold public office, Fraser in
terrupted with, II am NOT social
st." He said his sole interest in>Brin.
tons fate arose from the fact that
be (the witness) was chairman of the |
Garrison meeting and would be held !
for any disloyal utterances
made there.
Asked as to Brinton's politics. Fras-
er said he understood he was dem
ocrat; he believed Brinton had told
him he was democrat. He did not
Lhink Brinton was a Nonpartisan. He
seemed to recall that Brinton had
been postmaster somewhere under
taft. Did you ever hear of Taft
naming a democratic postmaster"
asked Attorney Hfldreth.
Fraser said that Sullivan's reputa-