The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-02-20
ENEMIES SPEND
THOUSANDS TO
CLEAR TOWNLEY
Political Opponents Claim Dis
honesty During Bankruptcy
i Hearing.
HONEST RECORD SHOWN

proved Entirely Enemtes' Insfnua-
tions ,Towniey Had Misappro-
priated League Funds to (
Personal Advantage.
Enemies Of the Nonpartisan league
In the Northwest have spent thou
sands of dollars to create 'distrust of
A. c. Townley, It's president, among
the members of the organization, but
they have succeeded in proving in a
federal court that Townley has not
profted one cent from the farmers and
that the properties OF the League are
held in honest trust.
The proceedings were a part Of the
bankruptcy case against Townley and
his brother. This case was an out
growth of the Townleys being forced
to the wall i've years ago by the
manipulation Of fax prices by the
grain gamblers. The Townleys were
at that time raising fax at Beach,
N. D. r.. -
They had applied the principles of
scientific farming" so widely advo-
Gated for the use of farmers. Trac-
tors and other farm machinery were
bought. A fair crop was used the
year that the Townleys went to the
wall, but the grain price manipulators
forced the price down to below 81 a
bushel. Then Townley's creditors be-
gan to close In. He pleaded~for time,
showing that the price would advance
again later, but they were persistent.
Townley said he would repay his cred
itors dollar for dollar If they would
help him get a better market price
for the fax. They refused and he
failed.
The case was dropped and the COM
panies took back the machinery they
had sold Townley. However, when
the Nonpartisan league, under Town
ley's direction, became a strong influ-.
ence in political matters, then at
tempts were made to attach the PROP
erty of the league, which is the prop
erty of the farmers who are members
of the organization. Stories were start
ed that Townley and his wife had
hidden away thousands of dollars in
various banks of Minnesota and North
Dakota. Absurd stories about Town
ley having made himself rich out of
the funds of the Nonpartisan league
were circulated. t-
Merely to get a showdown on these
reports, Townley instituted proceed.
ings in bankruptcy and scheduled his
assets. Francis Murphy of Minot, q
bitter enemy of the League appeared
as the attorney Of an oil company,
claiming 5000. Then came the expen-
diture Of thousands of dollars, in an
attempt to get something On Townley.
Detectives were hired to follow the
Townleys~ wherever they went. Town
ley, his wife, his brother and his am.
ployees we're put on the stand during
the hearing, which extended over a
year. A complete and thorough ex-
animation of all of tho books and rec
ofds of the Nonpartisan league was
made. 1 !. s.
The court, after these Investigations,
found that the. entire property OF the
NOnpartisan league is the property of
the farmers that belong to the organ
ization. It was found that Townley
has never gotten a cent more than
his salary, averaging under $500 q
month. The net result of the proceed
ings Is that Townley is ordered to
pay to his creditors just $17.89, the
amount by which his own schedule Of
assets exceeded the statutory exemp-
tons. .A.' -. 80
In his decision Judge Amidon
stated: ''... VI: r
"The search has been pursued not
only with the zeal Of creditors intent
on collecting their debts, but that of
political adversaries seeking to dis
credit a party believed to be danger
BUS. Detectives were hired to ingrati-
ate themselves with the wife OF the
bankrupt. : AS the result Of
months of following up these clues
by the trustee, the creditors and their
detectives, counsel for the trustee
stated frankly on the argument at a
recent hearing that nj secret deposit
or specific property held upon trust
had been found. The conclusion 10
Justified, and the court 30 finds the
fact to be, that the reason why this
hidden treasure has not been found II
that it does not exist"
Speaking Of the investigation Of the
books and records Of the League, the
decision says:
THE trustee has been permitted to
20 through the record Of all these con-
Germs as with : lighted candle. He
has found no trace Of any grant. OF
my Of the funds or property Of the
Nonpartfsan league or tts subordinate
agencies to Mr.. Town1ey, except 8
salary Of $500 per month. on the
sGcntrary, the record shows clearly and
A6lrmatiyely that the Nonpartisan
1easue and III subordinate asencies
I've n6yer granted to M. ToFnley,
- part sof their funds Or property
NJ hts psrsonaI s6tats. thAt 40 has
meSSr mad1 annkclaiIn M those funds
|or rFaperff0s n belonging - hmssif
xAI&EE&Ata S4AGIAAa ~ 49,