The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-10-29

r6oSCus We NAoAtCu tliC oAoaA Pihti~
of Cuba. We wired for funds
to come home, but Townley the pro-
moter, wired back: "Stay two weeks
longer and make more thorough in
vestigation," and also funds-again
to ~. w. Brown"
So we stayed two weeks longer.
We enjoyed everything that was to
be enjoyed in Dade county and Ha-
vana, Cuba, but 81. w. Brown" ceased
to live when we took the train in
Miami and when we stepped off at
st, Paul we were again J. w. Brinton,
private secretary and personal repre-
sentative of A. c. Townley, the po-
litical boss. And we made our re-
port. A true report of the wonderful
opportunity - to make money - in
Florida in land, in development and
in sisal. Since that report men have
made fortunes in Dade county and
fortunes are still to be made.
Townley, the promoter made no
mistake in investing money in Dade
county, Florida. But he made a mis-
take when he involved Townley the
politician, Townley the bankrupt, and
Townley the farmers friends in a
promotion and money-making scheme
in a distant land. It involved his in
tegrity as a politician, it involved his
testimony of poverty in his bank
ruptcy proceedings and it involved his
future prestige with his farmer
friends. But as I have related, Town
ley the promoter, took possession of
Townley the boss politician. His old
fever to promote and make money got
the best of him, and during 1917, 1918
and 1919, Townley, the promoter,
wired and otherwise sent funds, thou
sands of dollars, to E. Lundeen and
others at Miami, Florida. He had
Thomas Keys, treasurer of the Nom
partisan League, wire money to Mia.
mi. He had Norbert O'Leary, his pri-
vate stenographer, wire money to
Miami, as the financial records of the
Western Union at st. Paul and Miami
will show.
And thus his Florida venture be-
came a reality. It needed a fnancier
and J. ]. Hastings, his financial Sec
rotary, was selected. Hastings was
vice president of Townley's Fargo
bank and money continued to flow
southwark. In 1918 a deal was con-
summated to take over a large tract
of land. 1t must be inspected. Hast
ings was too busy organizing banks
and financing other and numerous
Townley enterprises, so another was
selected. Thoms Allen Box, then
r secretary of the Council of Defense,
was chosen. He had been given this
f state appointment by Townley. He
| was in high favor. He went to Mia
mi. He viewed entire Southern Flori-
da. He was entertained in a private
yacht. He also brought back glowing
reports. Later a meeting was ar.
ranged, under Townley's instruction
IS at Chicago, where a 22,40O-acre lant
It deal was closed with $4,000 the i'm
"a mediate consideration. Box ant
"a Hastings were to be the trustees O
the enterprise, similar to the trustee
70 ship through which Townley owne,
W the League "official" papers. Bo,
and Hastings organizer a holdin.
company in South Dakota to hol'
Townley's interest in secrecy in tn
n form of "trust certificates" and Bo:
N and Hastings were to receive an in
= terest in the "trust" for their activit
and association. Papers to organic
m the United States Sisal Trust wer
rs also drawn with Hastings and Box a
officers, and $4,000 of the amour
agreed upon at Chicago had been ad
vanced through Hastings and Town
ley's Fargo bank. This did not ir
a clude money invested in Florida b
d. Townley in 1916 and 1917.
" But just at this point somethin
happened. Hastings and Box had bee
r. organizing banks in North Dakota fc
e. Townley. They had organized Sc,
eral and ~reorganized one at Vale
in City-a 100000 deal-the story {
fe. which alone would fill a book. B,
,is the outcome was an investigation b
GU the federal grand jury, involving nj
NO only Box and Hastings but Townle
Ct and his attosney, William Lemke, tt
,ft bank being a national bank.
ey Townley, the politician, was seize
nd with fear. His Florida deal up to tn
he time had been entirely secret. B,
he here was his financial secretary und'
,ro federal investigation. It might LEI
re to Florida. There was his testimor
zen in federal court that he had no pro
nd erty. The legislature was in sessio
md It nigh lead to a legislative invest
cation, as state funds had been d
nj, posted in Townley's Fargo bank al
on- invested or loaned to the sisal ente
We prise. There was an embezzlement
ade $4,000 unsettled in the Fargo instit
the ton, funds which had gone to Florid
the Documents, proof of these Statement
the are in the hands of the writer. Pro
at of financial transactions that wor