The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-11-21
BEDFORD, CoNNELLA AND
IHLAN NOT IN GANG
CLAIM MADE BY DEFtNSE
Witnesses Testify As To Where
abouts On Night Meints
Was Feathered

Connel AND Otto. lillian, the three Lu.
verne men whom John Meints swore
ne recognized among the gang of six
masked men, that he claimed tarred
and feathered him, were established
by the defense in federal court yes.
terday afternoon.
Mrs. w. II. Bedford, wife of Rev
Bedford, testified that she saw her
husband about eight o'clock in the
evening, in company with Colonel G.
A. Lewis of Mankato and Captain
Ferguson of Luvernes and that until
eleven o'clock she believed ne was
+ at The Luverne Armory, assisting in
the organization of a Luverne com
pany of the national guard. At eleven
O'Clock Rev. Bedford came homie, she
stated, and remained about an. hour,
later walking out for an airing be-
fore retiring. She said he returned
TO the house and retired about one
o'clock in the morning..E"Lqs s.G-g u
Miss Rachel Bedford and her Sis
ter Miss Elizabeth Bedford were both
called to the stand and v repeat ed
practically, the same story as their
mother told Captain Frank Nergu-
son of the Luverne national guard
was next called and he told OF Rev :.
Bedford taking dinner with Colonel
Lewis and himself at the hotel that
evening and of his later remaining
at the armory until eleven o'clock,
working on the organization of ma :
tional guard company.
Colonel Lewis On Stand.
Colonel G. A. Lewis of this city
was next called and he gave practi-
caily the same testimony as Captain
Ferguson. After the dinner at the
hotel. Colonel Lewis said the party
enjoyed a ride about. the city during
the course of which they stopped at
Rev. Bedford's home. This was the
instance which Mrs. edford related
seeing her husband during the even
ing. -ss srcn gI5
Rev. Bedford was on the stand
shortly after the afternoon session
started and related the facts s,as
other witnesses have set them forth
also Attorney lie sleur attempted
at this juncture TO introduce as evil
dence certain placards which he
claimed were nailed up abo,;t Luz
verne, advocating announcement of
the Nonpartisan League and cCntain-
ing certain expressions about the
seventy one who voted for Lind
bergh" ~ tH tr . m
Attorney Pierce Butler objected on
the grounds Mat the placards had no
relation to the. case. go
"You cannot show that John Meirits
voted for Lindhers that he was one
of the seventy cne.- said Judge
: Booth. ~ ~. ID idtT
-True your honor" responded Lei
Sueur, but these go to show the
malice of the entire community"
League Not On Trial.
Judge Booth reiterated his former
statsment that as far as possible he
wished to keep the Nonpartisan
league out of the case
"This is not a question of Meints'
loyalty we seek to show" lie Sueur
declared, ''but of specific effort to
break up the Nonpartisan league. In
the effort he was inadvertently swept
into the net. These notices are rev.
Giant to show that feeling against
him"
Judge Booth declared it had been
shown that sMeints never was a
member of the iNonpaftisan league
and that there was no evidence to
show that malice was felt toward
Meints because OF the fact that he
was o men. Ners of the oieag1r. or il
. was believed he was a. member.
Attorney To- Hsvisp mon attempt
ed to argue he chss with the court
but as soon q hh'ibaacards were in
troduced am Ats ney Bitter cb-
.jected the court sustained THE OBJ
lection. - hls
Teetcr Saw Bedford = =
M. r. TERRY 20 -nty pgricil'- 'ual
agent in Rock county, one o. the de-
PENDANTS IN the case testified that hs
saw Rev. Bedford on the night of
August 10 when he went to the de-
pot to mail letter. He declared
: he saw Bedford as he passed the
anmory, and that they walked to-
Z gether for several blocks when they
came to the Manitou hotel. Together,
lie stated, they entered the CONNER
cial club rooms where john Meints
was and remained a few minutes 10
watch the proceedings
did you hear John Meints, Jr., say
anything with reference to telephon-
ing while there?" asked Attorney
Butler. -
"Yes. sir" Teeter answered. I'm
the hallway was a telephone and
young Meints said: Don't call up my
mother. She is in bed. I'll tell her
in the morning. There is no need
TO worry her.
This was in direct contradiction to
the statements of John Meints, ST..
and John Meints, Jr., who both
claimed they were not permitted to
telephone Teeter testified. he was
not at the Meints home on June 20.
or at the Fred Meints farm on Au-
gust or August 10 and that he did
not know John Meints.
did you ever hear any talk about
Meints being disloyal?" Attorney
Butler asked.
"Any time disloyalty was men
toned" stated the witness, his
namc was connected with it.'
@. do you know then what John
Meints reputation was?"
A. Eyes"
Q. Loyal or disloyal?"
A "Disloyal."
O. was there any danger to
John Meints through the county, any