Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-26
DISPUTE COMES
UP In TOWNLEY
:. HEARING TODAY
Counsel for Defense Objects
to Reading of Address :
Made by Townley.

jackson, Minn.. June 26.A-OAs.
trict Judge E.. @. Dean ruled this
afternoon at the trial of A. c.
Townley and Joseph Gilbert that
mOny regarding speeches which
y, TOwnley and Gilbert made in CIT
: ie4 and towns outside Of Jack
son county during tho war. The
state claimed that such testimony
was necessary in connection with
the charge OF conspiracy to COM
mittee disloyalty and the defense
made a hard fight to have 1t ex-
cluded. ~
Jackson. Minn.. June 26.-The
prosecution in case Of A. c. Townley.
president of the Nonpartisan league
a nd Joseph Gilbert, organizer. charged
with conspiracy. to commit disloyalty,
put their first witness on the stand
this morning to testify regarding
speeches made in various Minnesota
cities and towns by Townley and Gill
bert.
When the state called Alexander
Seifert Of Springfield. Mimi. to the
eral j. A. Markham announced that
the state would attempt to prove its
charges against the. defendants by
testimony regarding
speeches made in various places by
the Nonpartisan league leaders on
trial.
seifert is a court reporter who
copied in shorthand an address made
by Townley at New Ulm on February
go, 1918. Counsel for the defense OBJ
jected to the reading by Seifert Of his
transcript of the Town!ey speech and
recess was taken at noon while the
issue was being argued. ,r.a
Attorney Markham, arguing for the
admission Of the transcript, said il
was "the pivotal point in the case. y
any other way" he said. 1T is the
gist Of this controversy and is our way
of, proving our case"
Examination Of A. L. Callman, OF
Heron Lake, a farmer. was completed
early this forenoon. The keynote OF
Callmaf's testimony was that on Sep
TEMPER S. 1917, Irving Freitag,, so.
licit6r for the Nonpartisan league
called on him and during their con:
criticised the governments war pro.
gram.
Towniey and Gilbert are charged
with conspiracy to commit. disloyalty
The. sta4esis AttAHapting. Ito show. thal
Townley had Knowledge Of the activi
ties Of Nonpartisan league employees
who have been indicted for alleget
disloyalty or VINO have. been other
wise charged with having made un
patriotic remarks.
Gilbert is under indictment on {
separate count, charged with having
made seditious utterances while ad
dressing q crowd at Lakefield, neal
here, on January %, 1918.
Townley Not There.
Townley had not arrived in Jackson
when the trial was resumed thi
morning.
Callman testified this forenoon tha
Freitag came to his farm, on Septem
ber S, 1917. and that be obtained
partisan league. According to the wit
ness, Callman declared that meeting
had been, called in the neighborhoot
ito protest to the government to hol,
our boys from being sent across t.
fight"
"Freitag also said that the big in
terests should be abolished and tina
munition plants were making exorbi
tant profits and should be put out o
business" Callman testified. Il f1ev
off the handle and when Freitag say
where I stood he cut that talk out"
Callman testified that his fathe
was born in Germany and that hi
mother came from Ireland.
! On cross-examination by Attorne
George Hoke, Callman testified tina
the statements which he said Freita,
made were made after he, Gallman
signed the contract for membership il
the Nonpartisan league. Callman sal
that Freitag did not put forwar'
these remarks as reasons why h
SHOULD join the Naxue. He said h
would have refused to join had Frei
tag assailed the government before h
signed the contract.
Fred Callman, a brother Of A. 1
Callman. and a farmer also. then too
the stand. His testimony was brief. H
declared that FreitAg talked with hir
on the same day that he had talke
with his brother and that he ais
Joined the league. Fred Callman wa
not questioned as to whether Freita
! made any comments on the war t
him. With the completion of Call
mans testimony recess was taken.
pIlDv CcAN. WIFI