The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-11-07
UNDER THE CROSS-EXAM
NOT AFRAID FATHER
WOULD BE HURT
DID NOT co WITH HIM
He Claimed That His Black Eye
Prevented the Trip To =
Luverne

Fred and John Meints, sons of John
Meints. ST., plaintiff in the 100000
damage suit on trial in the federal
court, were on the stand the great
er part of yesterday afternoon and
this morning. The examination OF
Fred Meints, elder son, was not
completed until noon today.
: Attorney Pierce Butler cross exam
ined the witness carefully this
morning. Meints related the happen
ings surrounding the visit of the Lu-
verne men to his home where they
saw his father on the night Of Au-
gust 10 and pursuaded him it was
best to go to Luverne with them.
Were you afraid they would hurt
your father when they went away
with him." asked the attorney.
"No, l was not answered Fred
Meints.
you did not call the sheriff or the
constable or the neighbors or raise
a hue and cry that your father had
been taken away did you?" ques-
toned Mr.. Butler.
NO." answered the witness, 81 did
not leave the house"
Further questioning brought out
the fact that Meints did not leave
the farm for several days.
81 was ashamed to go because OF
the black eye / had" he admitted.
He testified that the Sunday fol-
lowing the occurrence he drove to
Sioux Falls. S. D., to see his father
"Was there a word said about
loyalty on the night those men called
at your FARM" he was asked
"Not that I remember" was the
answer.
Would Not Admit Loyalty.
Didn't Mr.. Hinckley ask you II
you were a loyal American citizen?'
inquired Mr. Butler, "and didn't you
answer that you were an American
citizen? Didn't you, always say you
were an American citizen and refuse
to say you were a loyal American %
Objection was raised here by At
torney lie Sueur for the conf lainant
Later. however, the witness said he
knew he was an American citizen
and that's all I did know"
81 told Hinckley I was an Ameri-
can citizen and that he could cut my
head off before l would join with his
mob gang" said Fred Meints hotly-
What do you mean by mob gang?''
asked. Mr.. Butler.
81 mean those men who were
there" he answered.
"Then you would die before you
would associate with those men and
the war work they were carrying out,
is that what you mean?" he was
asked. Objection was raised to the
question by Attorney LIE Sueur here.
How did you hapren to say that?"
asked Mr.. Butler.
81 just spit her loose" answered
Meints.
Occurrences On August 10.
Yesterday afternoon Fred Meints
related in detail the occurrences at
his home on August 10 when John
Meints, ST., was taken to Luverne
and later to the South Dakota line.
He also told of he and his father see-
ing line of cars stopped near their
home on August in the evening and
upon their suspicioning that parties
from Lliverne were after John Meints,
Sr., they drove by a detour to the
home of neighbor.
Dad wanted to get out of the car -
the witness stated, 'but 1 told him to
stay in and if anyone got in my way
would run over them"
"Why did you mistrust someone
was after your father?" said Attorney
Butler.
The Witness replied that he knew
his father was run out of Luverne on
June 20 and he mistrusted the cars.
thinking someone was after him
again.
In regard to the events of August
10, Fred Meints testified that when
he saw the men coming in cars to-
ward his home he rang up a neigh
Dor on the Phone but before he could
make them understand connections
were cut off. Later he said he dis
covered the ground wire outside the
house had been cut off.
Asked who came into the house
Meints related, as other witnesses
have, that o. P. Huntington was the
first one on the porch, followed by
L. d. Long. He claimed, however,
that when he refused to omen the