Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1921-07-14
.BRINT0N ACQUlTTAL
ENDS REMARKABLE
TRIAL AT BISMARCK
Brinton Used States Own
Witnesses to Prove Defense
and as Case Developed
League Officials Seemed
Really on Trial-End Not
Yet.

Really on lrlal-knd MOI
Yet.
Bismarck, N. D., July9.-J. w.
Brinton, formerly personal repre-
sentative of A. C. Townley, who was
acquitted in district court here Sat-
urday afternoon of the charge Of
perjury because Of his testimony be-
fore house of representatives COM
mittee last winter. today planned to
continue his fight upon leaders of
| the Nonpartisan League whom he
alleges have despoiled the organiZa-
ton.
The trial, which began June 23,
was unusual in many respects. The
defendant formerly allied with
Townley, William Lemke and other
Nonpartisan League leaders and his
attorney, Arthur LeSueur, Of st.
Paul. formerly was an attorney for
the league in the national offices
at St. Paul. He and Brinton claimed
to have broken with the league lead
ers because they alleged the league
leaders had not adhered to the or
iginal purposes of the organization.
The general opinion Of the specta-
tors at the trial was that it was
the management of the Nonpartisan
League and the leaders that was the
issue in the case. The attitude of the
jury was eagerly watched by politi-
clans both for and against the league.
1t was composed of four business
men, four farmers said to have
league sympathies, and four said to
have been regarded as anti-leaguers.
Both attorneys and the court ad-
jured the jurors. however, that poll
tics should not be allowed to enter
into their decision.
How Verdict Was Reached
The verdict was quickly arrived at
considering the mass of testimony,
and voluminous exhibits and detail
ed instructions of the court which
the jurors took to the jury room.
According to one juror, on the first
ballot the vote was about fifty-fifty.
it being started for discussion and
not revealing the real sentiments Of
the jury. The SECOND, he said, showed
ten for conviction and two for ac-
quital, one of whom was farmer
and one business man. The third
ballot showed all for acquital. The
jury was out three and one-half
hours. including lunch time.
Brinton Makes Statement
Mr.. Brinton made the following
statement after the verdict was read:
'I wish to repeat what I said at the
time of my arrest b ythe Attorney
General, which was Before this af
fair is over the defendant will be
the plaintiff and the plaintiffs will
be the defendants According to evil
dence produced in this case and by
the argument of Attorney General
Weeks I was really the plaintiff and
the state officials the defendants.
OF course everybody who is familiar
with the case understands that the
administration brought this case in
self-defense and never intended to
try it in court as the pleadings for
a postponement by Mr.. Lemke show.
1t is the first time defendant charg-
ed with a serious crime demanded
being prosecutor when the prosecu-
tor did not want to prosecute. 1t
took me nearly a year to get them
into court and the result is satisfac-
tory to me-"
Facts Prevailed, Said LeSucur
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 are stubborn things and in the
end prevail. Brinton told the truth
in his charge against Lemke and the
Attorney General
Weeks stated the issue when he said
to the jury in substance, If you find
Brinton not guilty you will convict
Cathro, Mr.. Lemke, Mr.. Hagen and
even the Governor fthis state of
having testified falsely 1t has been
a hardship upon Mr.. Brinton, but the
people of the state should profit by
by the verdict of fair
jury
What lsrintOn Charged -.
The information charged BrintOn
with testifying falsely upon great
of things before the house
committee. There were
"a assignments in the information.
Among other things he charged:
That there was heated contro-
versy over the policy of the Bank of
North Dakota at the time of it's or
That the Observation-Disclosures
bank Of Fargo was partly owned and
was controlled by leaders of the Nom
partisan League.
That the Scandinavian-American
bank was bought by j. ]. Hastings,
then financial manager of the league,
on Instructions from Townley and
Lemke during the year 1917, follow
ing conferences held in the national
offices of the league.
3 That the Scandinavian bank con-
troll was taken away from Hastings
and turned over to William Lemke
and H. "A. Paddock.
That the Publishers National Serv-
ice Bureau was organized by A. c..
Townley and was controlled by Viii
Ito y, ou,1ro RI sa s1f 45 3 sSs9 X. .is1ss,l