Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-17
A CONSPIRACY OF LAWLESSNESS

The history of the case in southern Minnesota In
connection with which Townley and Gilbert have been
sentenced to 80 days each, in the county jail reveals more
than that these two men engaged in . conspiracy to
preach sediion at a certain specified time and place. The
fact that this crime was actually committed within the
meaning of the law was proven to the satisfaction of the
twelve farmer jurors who were chosen to sit on the case,
and who were accepted with expressions Of satisfaction
by the attorneys for the defendants. But in his statement
It the time Of pronouncing sentence judge Dean present.
ed an array Of facts which,, while they were all well
known. and most of them Of public record, demonstrate.
when brought together and presented in their local con-
nection, not only that there was an unlawful conspiracy
between Townley and his echo. but that there has been,
and is, in existence and operation a conspiracy among a
large number of men distributed over q vide territory
to suppress. pervert and distort facts, and to circulate
statements directly contrary to the facts. in order that
through the misleading Of the public. the processes Of
the law may be brought into contempt when those pro-
cesses tend to interfere with the Townley program.
Townley directs the activities and governs the ex-
pressions Of a group Of papers distributed throughout
the sections Of the northwest where he has been most
industrious, and Judge Dean shows that these papers,
manifestly in pursuance of a common understanding.
have published statements relating to the Jackson trial
which were without a shadow Of truth. the purpose OF
these articles being to bring the court and the prosecut-
ing officers into contempt. and to create the impression
that, contrary to law, an effort was being made to rail-
road Townley and his helper to prison.
Articles have been published attributing to Judge
Dean statements which he never uttered: describing the
jury as "hand-picked," when the defense exercised its
full right of participation in its selection; declaring that
the judge resisted all efforts to GUST him from the trial.
when the BUSTING could have been done by a simple aR-
davit Of prejudice. and none was made; and in a score
o. other ways seeking to create the impression that the
defendants were being prosecuted. The fact is that the
two men were given lenient treatment by the judge, and
that the jury which convicted them was fairly chosen.
During the whole trial the whole attitude Of the defense
was that of innpudent defiance. and as a clima3 to his
brazen effrontery, Townley, after refusing to take the
stand. where he would be under oath and subject to cross
examination. demanded that he be permitted to address
the jury in his own behalf, a method which would have
permitted him to say whatever he pleased without the
possibility of contradiction. @
Townley stands as a convicted criminal. But in ad-
dition to the specific ofense for which he was tried, he
stands convicted by the indisputable facts in the case of
being engaged in a continuous conspiracy to delude men
who trust him and to poison their minds by the use of
the newspaper combination which he seeks to weld like
q band of iron around these northwestern states.