Plentywood herald., 1929-03-28
Paulson-Taylor Deal
Gets Airing in Court
Paper Controversy Creates
Much Interest Through
out State
Wolf Point Herald

Wolf Point-District court opened
Tuesday afternoon, the first case
coming up for jury trial being that
of Paul Paulson of Grenora, N. Dak.,
against Charles E. Taylor, editor of
the Producers News Of Plentywood.
This case had been pending for four
years. The jury was impaneled
Tuesday and the trial of the case oc-
cupied all of Wednesday and Wednes-
day evening. Judge Stanley E. Felt,
of Baker presided, as Judge Paul
was called as witness. The suit
was for $1,912.97 wages which Mr..
Paulson claimed Mr.. Taylor owed
him during thhe two years from Oc-
tober 1922 to October 1924 while he
was conducting the Roosevelt County
Independent at Poplar. Taylor deni-
ed that he was employing Paulson to
conduct the paper though he admitted
giving Paulson sums of money from
time to time for which he claimed
stock was to be issued at such time
as the paper was incorporated. The
jury was out about thirty minutes
and returned verdict for Mr.. Paul
son in the sum asked. The case for
Mr.. Paulson was handled by Marion
and Foor, while Mr.. Taylor's side had
j. X. Bramble as counsel.
Senator Taylor says he will ap-
peal the case.
Judge on Stand
The first witness called was Judge
S. E. Paul, who was a practicing at
torney at Plentywood in September
1922 at which time the transfer of
the Roosevelt County Independent
was made from Peter A. Paulson to
(nominally) Paul Paulson. Judge
Paul told of drawing up bill of sale
and sales contract. He said that
Charles &. Taylor gave Peter Paul
son check for 800 but he did not
of his own knowledge know whether
this was paid on Taylor's own ac-
count or whether Mr.. Taylor was ad-
vancing the money for Mr.. Paulson.
Plaintiff Testiies
Mr.. Paulson was the chief witness
on his side and occupied the stand the
greater part of the day. He told of
various conversations he had had
with Mr.. Taylor both before and af-
ter he took over the paper.
The plant had originally been that
of the Flaxville Democrat which Pet
er A. Paulson had moved to Poplar
and had run for time. Paul Paul
son had worked for Peter Paulson at
Plentywood and had Later gone to
work on the Producer News. He said
the first time Mr.. Taylor broached
the matter of his (Paulson's) buying
the Roosevelt County Independent, he
had said: "Why, l haven't any money
to buy a paper with, all have is a
mortgaged farm in North Dakota"
The matter was discussed several
times thereafter, and Peter Paulson,
who was working in Wolf Point then,
made several trips to Plentywood.
With Mr.. Taylor he had gone to Pop.
lar to look the plant over and had
ucSlucu LIdl lnc LOWH wasn't DIX
enough to support two newspapers,
so he had written to Peter Paulson
and told him he wouldn't make deal
as he didn't feel that the layout and
the location was worth more than
half the $4,000 asked for it. A little
while after that Peter Paulson made
another trip to Plentywood and ask
ed Paul Paulson if he would manage
the paper if Taylor would buy it. He
said he would.
The Dotted Line
The next day the papers were fixed
up, and when Paul Paulson was call
ed from the Producers News office
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