The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-10
FIREWORKS START
OVER BOOZE Case
Tongues At War When At
torneys "VocabuIate;"
Dismissed
Special Judge DecidesThat
Complaint Not Up to
Standard

Affidavits of bias, sharp personali
ties and the switchig of one Judge to
another were features of the case Of
the State of Minnesota against Ar.
thur Peterson of this city charged
with being drunk while driving
motor vehicle.
At the opening of the hearing OF
case at two o'clock yesterday after
noon the defendants attorney j. e.
Regan, filed an affidavit of prejudice
against Judge Hiram Golf, signed by
the defendant, charging Judge Goff
with bias, and asking that Special
Municipal Judge William Stradtmann
sit in the case. City Attorney C. E.
Gilmore presented complaint charg-
ing Arthur Peterson with being drunk.
A lively tilt ensued between the op-
posing attorneys when Attorney Re-
gan, in opening the case for the de-
tense, said that the wording of the
the point, and as such did not state
sufficient cause for prosecution. The
wording of the complaint objected to
was as follows:
THAT on the third day of June
1921, on Front street in the city
of Mankato, Blue Earth county,
Minnesota. Arthur Peterson then
and there unlawfully and wrong
fully upon Front street, a public
highway, in the city of Mankato,
while being drunk and in state /,
of intoxication"
Claimed There Was Doubt.
Attorney Regan said that law re-
quires that the wording of a com
plaint must be worded to the point
and without the possibility of doubt,
and for that reason asked Judge
Stradtmann to dismiss the case
against Mr.. Peterson on the charge
SO ruled. and then it was that the
fireworks broke loose, when City
Attorney c. E. Gilmore made the re-
mark that he thought that the court
should look after the interests of the
state and not after his personal
views as to the defendant. Attorney
]. E. Regan jumped up and inter-
jected an objection to the city attor-
ney insinuating that the presiding
was that City Attorney Gilmore with
drew the case against William King,
also charged with drunkenness. In
doing this City Attorney Gilmore
said that owing to the rules In the
Peterson case 1t was no use to fight
the King case.
Defense Asked For Continuance
AitcT Luc uiSpOSdI Oh tue Two cases
above mentioned, then the case a.
gainst Arthur Peterson on the charge
Of operating a motor vehicle while
Intoxicated was taken up. Attorney
Regan asked for a continuance in
order to get more time to summon
witnesses. City Attorney C. E. Gil
more objected to this, and 1t was fin,
ally decided, to proceed in the case
and summon a jury. Then Judge
Stradtmann said that he has a case
out of town that he will have to be
present at and he could not sit in the
case. Then the attorney for the de-
Tense withdrew the affidavit of pre-
tudice filed against Judge Golf and
that gentlemen again took the ros-
trum. Judge Stradtmann thereupon
retired from the case, with the re-
mark that he put in the most siren
uous time of his life. The case was
taken up before jury in the munich
pal court before Judge Hiram S. Golf
this morning at ten o'clock.
For the first time in the history of
Blue Earth county two women jurors
are serving on the jury. They are
Mrs. C. ]. Laurisch, and Mrs. B. u.
Smith. The taking of the evidence in
the case was commenced at ten o'clock
this forenoon, and was continued
throughout the greater part of the
afternoon.