Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-11
LEAGUE ORGAN SUPPRESSED AND
DISTORTED FACTS REGARDING
THE ACQUITTAL OF ]. v. BRlNT0N
Charge That Jury Was AL
most Unanimously |. v. A.
Shown To Be False; I'm
portant Facts Brought Out
During The Trial Covered
Up By Courier-News.
(By stan Correspondent,

(By Staff Correspondent
Bismarck. N. D.. July 11.-Both
the attorneys who took the> leading
parts in the j. W. Brinton perjury
trial which ended here Saturday ii
the acquittal of the defendant, have
left for their homes Arthur Le-
Sueur who defended Brinton, leav-
ing for st. Paul, Mimi, and j. J.
Weeks, the special assistant attorney
general, who had charge of the
prosecution going to Bottineau.
Mr.. Weeks had left town Saturday
before the verdict was returned.
Brinton will remain in Bismarck
for several days longer to attend to
some personal affairs.
League Attempts Alih.
AS had been expected, the report
morning edition of the Fargo
Courier-News was in the nature of an
alib1 for the prosecution. In the
editorial columns of the paper was q
statement, "The jury in the Brinton
case was almost unanimously l. ".
A."
| AS matter of fact four Of the
jurors in the case are at this time, or
have been recently, members of the
!, Nonpartisan league. A fifth juror Is
known to have been strongly favor
able to the league. and 80 far as was
learned in their examination none OF
the jurors we're members Of the In
dependent Voters association.
! News Suppressed.
This attitude, however, has char
acterized the Courier News all
'i through the trial, most of the inn
portant points brought out in the
evidence having been suppressed in
that paper.
This was especially notable in it's
account Of the testimony given by
4 William Lemke. no mention being
4 made by thealeague organ OF Lemke'ss
damaging admissions OF his owakT-
ship of majority Of the stock Of
i atrcapsByssrE United Stores d.. or
4 other MIA points. ,sF
I$.Fn me same way practicaiis sail Of
the testimony tending to show A.
I Townley's was suppressed, and Il the
Sunday morning edition OF the league
organ gave only a brief notice ,;cf
Brinton's testimony before the fed
eral referee in bankruptcy, and gave
i none of his story of the financial ac-
tivities Of the league boss.
Mr.. Brinton made the following
statement Saturday after the verdict
was read:
! Brinton's Statement.
II wish to repeat what I said
at the time Of my arrest by the
l attorney general, which was: be-
fore this affair Is over the defend
ant will b, the plaintiff and the
plaintiffs will be the defendants.
According to the evidence in this
case and by the argument of At
i torney General Weeks 1 was
! really the plaintiff and the state
officials the defendants. or
course. everybody who is familiar
with the case understands that
| the administration brought this
case in self defense and never in
tended TO try it in court as the
pleading for postponement by
Mr.. Icmke shows. 1t is the first
time defendant charged with
serious crime demanded being
prosecuted when the prosecutor
did not want to prosecute. 1t
took me nearly year to get
them into court and the result Is
satisfactory to me-"
LcSueur's Statement.
Arthur LeSueur. Brinton's counse.
said
/ The state furnished all the proof
they had. The absent witnesses would
| have sworn against them. An able
| lawyer presented their case but facts
| prevail. Brinton told the truth in his
prevail. rinton told the truth in his
charge against Lemke and the ad-
| ministration. Attorney General Weeks
stated the issue when he said to the
| jury in substance: If you find Brin-
! ton not guilty. YOU will convict Cathrc,
Mr.. Lemke. Mr. Hagan and even the
| governor Of this state of having testi-
fed falsely. 1t has been hardship
on Brinton but I hope the people. Of
1 a Sfc$ rr~s1 Ls -
fair jury
| Plain Case Juror Says.
There was a dramatic scene in the
court room after the verdict Of not
guilty was returned Saturday after
| noon. and the Jurors crowded around
Brinton, and LeSueur to shake hands
| with them.
| 1T was plain case" was the
comment of one OF the members Of
the jury.
II only wish every farmer in North
Dakota could have heard the evil
dence. and arguments. it would have
| opened their eyes" declared another.
Several Of them congratulated Mr..
LeSueur on his argument"
STRIKING CHARACTERISTICS
Rome. June 2c.--The new Italian
parliament will have some striking
| characteT1Stics. The provinces annex
| ed to Italy in consequence Of the
great war are sending four Germans
and five Slavs to their new capital to
| sit in the chamber of deputies and
among the, Slars there is q priest. the
| Rev. Nirgilio Schelz. who has been
elected for the Gloriaia constituency.
No priest has sat in the chamber
since 1870, when the temporal power
was lost to the pope. il was said that
! the Vatican had forbidden this SlaR
4 clerical member tn press his canGi-
dature. but the official announcement
4 of his election Is now published.
THREE DIE IN DIES MONIES
Des Moines. Iowa, July IL Scorch.