Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-11-10
TENNICKEIT LOSES
HIS LAW SUIT
JURY IN U. S. FEDERAL COURT
FINDS FOR WILSON AFTER is
MINUTES DELIBERATION

The. topic of conversation in Au-
dubon, and all over southwestern
Iowa, for that matter. has been the
trial in the federal court at Council
Bluffs this week of Fred Tennigkeit
VS.. Frank Wilson and his bondsmen,
Ed Johnson, Chas. Van Gorder and
Frank Watts. 1t took two days to
finish the trial. Yesterday after
noon about four o'clock the case
went to the jury. The jury return
ed in fifteen minutes, having taken
one ballot and found for the de-
PENDANT. This news was flashed TO
Audubon at about supper time. The
expression everywhere was that it
was the most satisfactory verdict
ever reached"
The trial of Fred Tennigkeit, who
until few years ago was farmer
living east of town, but more re-
Gently located at Burlington, Colo,
who was nearly hanged by a mob on
the afternoon of December rs, 1917,
because of his pro-German attitude,
gainst Frank Wilson, former sher-
of Audubon county, and his
sdsmen, for damages aggregating
200, was started in federal
ut before Judge Wade in Council
Is, Tuesday forenoon. The
Jatiff charges the sheriff with
y of duty at critical time.
Jsnnigkeit asked $4,000 from
former sheriff and SIS, 200 from
three bondsmen, Chas. Van Cor
Sr, Edwin M. Johnson and Frank
katts.
Tennigkeit was represented in the
. action by George Mayne and Thos.
o. Tao, of Council Bluffs, and the
defense was represented by Mantz
e White of this city. Prospective
jurors were carefully examined as TO
their feelings relative to pro-Ger-
manism, and kindred subjects.
The jury was secured rapidly on
Tuesday morning, the opening state
ments made by attorneys and the
first witness, Tennigkeit himself
was called at haas o'clock. He
had started on his testimony when
the noon recess was taken.
Attorney Mayne made the opening
statement to the jury for the plain
tiff.
The matter of loyalty or disloy-
atty will not enter into this case, in
my judgment" Mayne said. Ten
nigkeit is not a German but a
Lithuanian. We are simply going to
show that the former sheriff took
Fred Tennigkeit from the First Ma
tional bank in Audubon that AFTER
noon and turned MIN over 10 tne
mob. The sheriff expressed fear
that he could not protect Tennigkeit
and the latter asked for gun and
L., Of hinnSalf
Thereupon he was searched by Will
son who found him unarmeu."
Charley White made the opening
statement for the defense.
1--WE intend to show that this man
was disloyal," ne said. fne exten.
of his disloyalty, I believe. was not
known to the sheriff or the police
authorities
White declared that after iennis-
keit was safely out of the bank once
and II was thought the incident was
over, after Tennigkeit had made ar
rangements to buy $1,000 worth OF
Liberty bonds, he again was discov-
cred in the bank and bank officer
telephoned the sheriff to take MIN
out. He was threatened by the mob
the second time and an effort was
White said, but the sheriff received
as rough treatment in trying 10 pro
feet him as Tennigkeit himself did.
white also declared that Tennigkeit
was playing possum about his in
iuries.
"Perhaps this was necessary I'M
der the circumstances. 1t might
have been a clever ruse. Perhaps
the sheriff also was playing possum
to protect Tennigkeit and himself as
Abiding TO Tennigkeits presence
IN the bank. White said that he had
refused advice to retire by the rear
door, and insisted upon going out by
the front door, "the way he had
come in" That was the first time.
The last time he also left by the
front door.
On the stand Tennigkeit started
TO relate his story from the time he
was called into town to race the
council of defense. After a session
with the council, he said, he went
to the First National bank with III
Yackey. state agent, and made ar
rangements to borrow $1,000 foI
the purchase OF Liberty bonds.
After the arrangements were
made with the cashier, he said, peo-
pie began to gather in front ana the
cashier expressed rear tnat ,hey
would try to break IN: lenhisAe q !
said he suggested that the sneriii pe
called and the cashier declared ina.
that would not DO. Iapnigkel. tnes
started to telephone tne sneriii anu
was stopped by the official NOW
ever, when he insisted ne was a.,
lowed to call the sheritt anu sot nun
personally: he came risn' o'e''
SAID Tennigkelt. so,a Tarnig-