Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1922-02-02
JOHNSON DEMANDS
LEMKEFUND Be
RETURNED TO BANK
Attorney General Serves For
mer Director Cath
ro With Demand That More
Than Three Thousand DOL
lars Be Replaced-Wil In
vestigate.

GeneFdl ana manager r.. w. CaLnTO
of the Bank Of North Dakota return
to the Bank of North Dakota s3,627.-
"a of the "Lemke fund" was serv-
ed upon Mr.. Cathro, who was in the
city, by Attorney-General Johnson.
The first request directed to Mr..
Cathro at his home in, Bottineau
was that he explain why the "Lemke
fund" was held in the Bank of North
Dakota AND not shown as a deposit,
altho the Courier-News Of Fargo
had printed deposit slip showing
money was deposited in the Bank OF
North Dakota. The money accord
ing to reports made to Attorney
General Johnson, was kept in a sack
in the vault.
When the league lost control of
the bank it is alleged that Cathro re-
moved the balance of $3,627.24 Of
the fund, raised by popular subscrip-
tion on the plea Of former Attorney
General Lemke to the effect that there
were no funds with which to prose.
cute the railroad rate case.
JohnsOn's Demand
II hereby demand that you return
to the Bank the deposit which was
made in the Bank Of North Dakota
by the Courier-News Publishing Co.,
and the balance of which deposit, a.
mounting to at least s3,627.24 you
removed from the Bank personally,
johnson wrote. II also hereby de-
mand that you return to the Bank
all vouchers showing payments made
from such fund, which was deposited
in the name of William Lemke, as
Attorney-General, to be used only
for certain purposes specified in
the trust, namely, the protection of
the interests of the State Of North
Dakota as such interests were sup
posed to be wrapped up in litigation
pending when the fund was created,
or which might thereafter be COM
mended.
Liam making this. demand at this
time In behalf OF the State OF North
Dakota, the office of Attorney-Gen-
eral, and particularly of the bank of
North Dakota, from the records Of
which you removed those vouchers
aforesaid, and from the funds Of
which you removed the aforesaid a.
mount, and all evidence of the de-
posit of the same in the Bank of
North Dakota.
AT the time you removed this a.
mount of money ,and these records,
you were Director-General of the
Bank, and as such you were entrust-
ed with the custody and care of the
funds and records in the bank.
"You will be expected to return
this fund, and the records removed
by you, within three days from the
date of the service of this demand
upon you."
, 1t Is particularly desired, it is un-
derstood to learn whether or not the
money raised by voluntary subscrip-
tion was used for the purpose for
which it was contributed.
Courier News Statement
This mornings Courier-News makes
the following statement relative to
Attorney-General Johnson's action:
Attorney General Sveinbjorn John
son has started an investigation to
ascertain. what became of the VIM.
Lemke fund contributed by support
ers of his predecessor. The attor-
ney general claims that all the money
collected for this fund and reported
in columns of the Courier-News from
time to time has not been accounted
for and he calls upon the Courier
News to make an accounting,
According to. letter received by
the Courier News from Mr.. Johnson,
the records of the Bank of North
Dakota show that $8,432.92 were
deposited In the Bank Of North Da-
kota to the credit of VIM. Lemke, at
torney general. Mr.. johnson claims
that the columns of the Courier-News
disclosed that several thousand dol
lars more were received for the
Lemke fund and he asks that this
paper make an accounting OF what
was received and where it went to.
CGurjer.News Did Not Keep Record
Investigation by the present man
agement Of the CoUrier-News re-
vea1s that the Lemke fund was not
by the Courier-News, but by
the then business manager PERSONAL
ly, Fred w. Wing. He reported the
udlAy XoC0lptB " tu0 0UltOEAdl IVOu6
Of the Courler-News. kept the money
In q separate bank, later deposit
Ing 1t in the Bank Of North Dakota.
4 The Courier-News did not start
the drive for this fund. Shortly aft
er the last session Of the legislature
convened and 1t was reported that
the /. v. "A. house planned to block
appropriations for the attorney gem
erals Office, LeaEuers began writing
In to The Courier News suggesting
that the fund be raised voluntarily
for Attorney General Lemke. The
did not encourage the
plan but In spite OF that fact the
started to como In. even tho
Il was announced editoriallv In the
News that Mr.. LAmke urged
that the people wait until Il became
known what the legislature would
DO. i: !: % N. Il \. ID