New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-07-16
ONYICIION ENDS
TRIAL OF TOVNLEY
JURY RETURNED VERDICT OF
GUILTY SATURDAY EVE,
JULY ~ 18th. 4.
JUDGE REFUSES 70 ALLOW
DEFENSE RIGHT GRANTED
TO PROSECUTION

- = = 1SsoE NlS1I1 - S1LfAlNlI,D
TO RosECUTIoN
The Jury in the trial Of President a. G..
ToWnley and Joseph Gilbert Of the Non
partisan League late Saturday night
found the defendants guilty Of the charge
of conspiracy to teach disloyalty, I'M
violation of the Minnesota law. The
verdict was read by the clerk of court
at 1I:53 P. M. The jury retired at
.9:45 p. M.
Townley Makes Statement.
After receiving the verdict, Townley
made the following statement:
Judges and lawyers may bubble, but
in the court of public opinion the common
sense Of the people will never approve
ruling that says man may merely
deny he is disloyal and is forbidden to
prove BY constructive testimony that he
is loyal
Judge r. c. Dean granted stay Of
sentence until September Is to permit
the preparation Of the court record and
the making Of motions for new trial.
The two other criminal actions against
Gilbert were continued until the January
term Of court. He was, convicted in
justice court at Lakefeld Of unlawful
assemblage, sentenced to 80 days in jail
and appealed to district court, Both
charges are based on the speech which
Gilbert made at Lakefeld, January 90,
1918.
S Wesfeel there are enough errors in the
record to war ant us in predicting, if not
q new trial, at least reversal BY the.
State kupreme court, = said Attorney
George ordlin, Of counsel for Townley.
atymidight. We do not feel that it
would be proper to make any further.
public statement. . ss ss
Hoke Calls it Disgraceful.
Attorney George Hoke, chief counsel
for the defense, said:
II am convinced, and no fair minded
person can doubt, that Mr.. Townley and
Mr.. Gilbert are innocent. The trial was
in the nature Of a yellow paint party
conducted under the guise Of a legal
proceeding. Those responsible for this
.disgraceful affair have made great
sblunder. IA ST.
The defense asserted that speeches
by Townley and Gilbert, at mass meet
ings in Minnesota early in 1918, were
not disloyal in their references to the
government and prosecution Of the war.
These speeches were made the basis Of
the Indictment, together with circulation
of the Nonpartisan leagues so-called
war progra m, over Townley's signature.
During the three weeks Of the trial the
defense has made repeated charges that
the case is an outgrowth Of efforts to in
jure the Nonpartisan league. Testimony
along this line, and also testimony by
Representative James M. Baer, and
North Dakota state officials concerning
the loyalty Of ToWnley and the league,
was excluded by Judge E. 9. Dean.
The court also denied Townley' S res
quest to address the jury in his own
defense. 81 am very anxious to do this, :"
he said, The attitude Of more than
100000 farmers and 100000 people
through this N orthwest will depend
on the decision Of the jury. Z
Testimony Barred.
Much important testimony has been
barred from the trial by a ruling of Judge
A. c. Dean. The Judge decided that
only speeches covered by the indictment
Or introduced by the state would be
permitted to be used by the defense.
The Judge also ruled out testimony
regarding loyalty Of members Of the
Nonpartisan league, and prevented evi-
Idence being presented in an effort to
Eirnpeach +. "a. Teigen, star witness for the
state. 593s
The attitude of the court led to fire.
#quent clashes between the Judge and
Attorney George Hoke for the defense.
I The latter declared that the rulings,
would tend to prevent the defense from
presenting evidence to prove that the
two League men were innocent Of the
charge lodged against them, that Of con
spiiracy to violate the state sedition law
Baer On Stand.
Congre slnan John NJ. Baer, placed
On the stand BY the defense, declared
that the war program Of the League
2antedated by five months the EXPIRES
5sions Of President I'VE lson in his IL points
and that the League declaration squares
ii every way with the presidents pro-
nouncements. q
Under cTo animation by CountyI
Attorney r. n. Nicholas. Baer explained