Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-16

Mr.. drtff1th about wentx was on TIN
day Mr.. Griffith had. been subpoenaea
ktO appear before me to testify. and
that Ar. Griffith had called him up
to his office. to talk with him about
1T before appearing in obedience to
the subpoena.
Another Witness
THE testimony OF Mr.. Boese was to
the effect that in answer to Mr.. GrifV
kfith's question he stated that he had
been to see Wentz, whom he person.
ally knew, atsthe county jail a number
o. times during the course of his im-
prisonment and that he had always
found him there. During the first
months of his Imprisonment Boese
found Wentz on each visit Imprisoned
in the Jail and had to talk with him
through the bars,at the window. Dur.
, ing the latter portion of his imprison-
ment he had found Wentz out on the
lawn and on a few occasions had seen
him; at the garage across from the
lcourt house where. Wentz had been
doing some work On. Sheriff Stewards
automobile.
Sheriff Stewart, Deputy Sheriff
Hallick, and former deputy J.
Lowe We're all examined under oath,
and their testimony was to the effect
that Wentz had been kept imprisoned
in the Jail for the greater portion of,
the four months of the sentence which
he served. and that he was there at
night when the Jail was locked up
and reported for all meals with the
of two or three days when.
he was allowed togo to his home
because of his wife's illness, and also
a couple of nights when in IN m
Urgency he worked at the garage Of
the General Motor Service Co., across
from the Court House. That during
the last month or SO of his sentences
Wentz a been made a ~"trusty" at
the Jail and was allowed to work
upon the Cour House lawn and to
work upon the Sheriff's car at the
.gafuge. /.
III. u. Marberk, proprietor of the
garage referred to, testified that upon
request by him from Sheriff Stewart
Wentz a worked q couple Of nights
at his garage when his night man
all the time he was supposed to be
on duty. He further testified Wentz
was around the garage during the lat
ter weeks of his imprisonment work.
ing. on the Sheriff's ear, and that
Wentz had an old Ford car there
upon the pledge of which he borrowed
some money. All these witnesses tes-
titled that at no time was Wentz'
conduct such as to even to create the
suspicion that he was attempting to
engage in b~ootlegging, and that there
was no opportunity for him to- do so.
"a few other witnesses were ex-
Amined, but they knew nothing of a
definite nature with reference to the
WentzS report and could give the
anne of no one from whom facts
might be obtained.
No Definite Information.
/ "Mr. Griffith was also examined
regarding the statement made by him
to the effect that conditions in Grand
Forks county with respect to- viola
tons of the liquor law were worse
than they had been in years, but
could give no definite information
concerning particular violations. He
suggested the names of different per-
sons whom it vas "rumored' had
been trafficking in liquor and against
whom no action had been taken, but
could not recall the names of any of
the persons who had called these mat
tiers to his attention. He further tes-
titled that he had never reported any
of these matters to the States At
torney Or the Sheriff or tt the Fed
eral officials for investigation.
The single clue furnished by Mr..
Griffith's testimony has been run
down and found only to corrobrate
the testimony of the Sheriff and his
deputies with reference to Wentz's
CONTINENT in the county Jail, and,
under the circumstances, the -investi-
cation is as complete as I can make it.
Absolutely no grounds for Mr.. Grif-
fith's sensational statement have
been shown. +.
1T is to be hoped that persons who
are SINGERS in their desire to see law
enforcement in Grand Forks County
will assist by reporting facts indicat-
ing violations Of the law to the
States Attorneys office or to the
Sheriff, instead Of adopting: the plan
of giving credence to idle rumors and
Strengthening them to their own dis
credit by passing them on to the gem
eral public. I regret the necessity
which has prompted this statement,
but because so many good citizens
have been misled by the sensational
statement in question. I have felt
compelled to give the facts as they
are"