The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-31
GERMAN PASTORS
ACTS AIRED IN
FEDERAL COURT
Famous New Salem Case
Being Tried at Bismarck
Bible Storm Center


sale Of Liberty bonds.
District Attorney Hildreth argued
that the evidence should be admitted
for the reason, he claimed, that it
covered one Of chain Of acts which
connected the defendant with the
crime Of which he now is accused.
He held that the evidence was as ad-
Missile as it would be to show that
man who had robbed q bank had
purchased dynamite a year in ad-
vance Of the act, or nitrOglycerin six
months in advance OF the crime. The
court held, on the contrary, that the
government was seeking to make a
crime Of acts which at the time they
were performed, before America had
declared war on Germany, were not
criminal.
The Kaiser's Bible.
E. e. Podall, assistant cashier in
the Farmers & Merchants State
bank Of New Salem, in which the
Rev. F'ontana is a stockholder, was
the witness firm whom the govern
ment sought testimony as to kaiser's
Bible in Rev. F'ontana's church.
Podall testified that he went to New
Salem in November, 1916, and that he
ATTENDED Rev. Fontana's church be-
SS|hSO LAASi w cS5 ITO OLH6T SOlnR IN
situation Of the Protestant denomi-
nation at that time. He understands
and speaks and reads German. but
is an American. He had attended
Rev. Fontana's church several times
after June 10, 1917.
District Attorney Hildreth at this
point asked whether the Bible in this
church was not a gift from the Ger
man emperor. Judge Knauff Of
jamestown, chief of counsel for the
defense, objected, and the court sus-
tained him. Podall was allowed to
testify that the Bible had been re-
ce1Ved some time prior to 1916, when
he came to New Salem, and an argu =
ment as to the admissibility of this
line or evidence then began.
Lusitania Humane Act.
The sinking Of the Lusitania was
humane act, because the Lusitania
carried ammunition which would t3li(i
have been used in killing Germans.
and the sinking of the Lusitania
saved the lives Of these Germans.
This, said J. L. Killing, cashier of
the First National bank Of New Sa-
lem, one Of the first witnesses
for the government. was a statement
made to him by Rev. Fontana last
October, when King, as a member Of
the New Salem Liberty loan com
mittee, called upon the rector for a
subscription.
"F'ontana told me that Wilson was
elected to keep us out Of war and
that he had then exposed us to war
and finally forced US into it. Wilson
could do this, he said, because he had
something on every member Of con-
gress. He told me he did not want to
buy Liberty bonds or to use his in
fluence in any way to prolong the
war. I noticed a picture Of the
kaiser hanging in his room, and I
asked him If he knew the kaiser. He
said he knew the kaiser to be a man
Of peace, that he had kept peace in
Germany for 40 years. and that the
world could have peace now If 1t
would accept his terms. He has Of
fered peace, why don't they accept
his terms" Fontana asked.
In defending the sinking OF the
Lusitania, Fontana said the United
States would have done the same
thing under the circumstances.
The defense objected to this testi-
mony, contending that it was ir-
inasmuch as the Lusitania
was sunk before America declared
war on Germany. The prosecution
that this conversation was
held in October, 1917, months after
war had been declared, and the court
sustained the government.
Rev. Fontana told me he couldn't
help but be proud Of the fight the
Germans were making" continued
the witness. "He told me he
wouldn't sign for any Liberty bonds
or War Savings stamps; that If he
ever changed his mind he would buy,
but that he was convinced the United
States was wrong. He declined to
lear an address by DR.. Koenig when
he learned that he was to speak in
German. He said he would listen to
an English speaker, but declared that
any man educated in Germany who
holds that the present administration
is right Is not sincere.
German System Better.
The witness, on cross examination,
admitted that the defendant may
have praised CONSUMPTION "as it ap-
preached nearer the German system
Of government, Mr.. Killing said that
Rev. Fontana. had expressed approval
of all things German, including the
German government, which he
thought superior to the American
form.
Under, redirect examination, the
court would not permit the witness
to state whether he knew that Rev.
Fontana had purchased German
bonds, unless the date Of purchase
be shown to be subsequent to the en-
trance Of Germany into the war. The
brought in the subject of
German bonds when he denied that
Rev. Fontana's Strengthened circum-
stances had been used as a plea for
not buying Liberty bonds. He said
he thought the clergymen could in
vest In Liberty bonds If he bought
German bonds.
Prayed for Germany.
Witness PodaIl, who. taught
Sunday school class in Rev. Fon-
tana's church, testified that the pas
tor had linked the fatherland and
America. in big nraWars and tka4 h