The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-08-09

for political purposes.
County Employs Attorney
Sheridan county employed At
torney Paul Babcock and Senator
Donovan of Toole County to assist
County Attorney Erickson. Inc
Surety company retained George
Hurd to assist Brown and Stuart
of Helena and General Counsel
Clawsen of Minneapolis. Hurd
made brags all over the state that
the case would never come to trial,
and that if it did, he would crush
Torstenson between his fingers
there would be nothing to it; that
Torstenson was implicated and that
he would make him admit it. The
| Sheridan county officials were just
as confident that the company
would never go to trial, that they
would bluff until the last minute
and then settle. The officials, know
ing that the company did not have
the color of fact to base a de-
tense on, were sure there could be
no trial. Both sides were wrong.
The Surety Company had been con-
WINGED by the Plentywood bitter
enders and of course was anxious
to avoid paying its liabilities
100000 is lot of money even Tor
the National Surety Company. The
case went TO trial.
The Trial
When the Sheridan county Off
Gals arrived at Great Falls, the
company attorneys were nonplus-
ed. The case went to trial. The
company fought the case stubborn
ly, refusing to even admit that il
had written the policy. This line
of fake defense at once prejudiceC
the jury. Hurd even insinuated thai
Cashier VIM. Erickson of the Ribs
State Bank was implicated with
Treasurer Torstenson, in the rob.
berry. Hurd had evidently arranged
with the Great Falls Tribune fol
favorable publicity and the storie;
appearing in that paper partial tt
the company and prejudicial to The
county officials became so ranl
and false that Judge Pray wal
compelled to call the Tribune re
porter to him and warn him in NJ
uncertain terms.
The Tribune had from the teno
of its reports of the trial, enter
ed into a deal with the company t,
manufacture an atmosphere il
Great Falls favorable to the com
pany. 1t was one of the nasties
examples of newspaper cupidity Of
record and one which it will TAX
the Tribune years to live down.
! After admonition by Judge Pra,
the Tribune slowed up. Treasure
, ! Torstenson went on the stand. Fo
two days he was subjected to tn
most grueling cross examination
an examination that no guilty MAJ
could have stood up under, so crue
that even the jury became disgust
ed with Attorney Hurd. Judg
Pray gave the company attorney
wide latitude. The Sheridan count
attorneys did not object. The Shel
idan county officials had instruct
ed the county's attorneys to put n
T obstacles in the way of the con
1 pany's lawyers, telling the attol
. neys that they wanted vindicatio
{ from the malicious insinuations {
!. the Tribune, their political enemit
and the company.
$ Torstenson never fa1tered in OF
o instance. He met every insinuatic
2 of the attorneys, he told stol
n they did not shake in one deta
v He defended his record against Il
. expert auditors brought out fro
New York by the company and a
sisting the attorneys for the cou
ty, made them admit the recol
to be correct in every detail. HUI
: failed to crush Torstenson as
had promised and was unable
= hide his chagrin and even anger.
~ The other witnesses were call
" and Hurd examined them ruthles
n ly.
% The trial ended and the compa
offered every legal motion thir
- able, but was overruled by Jud
u Pray, and the case went to
~ jury. That body found for Torstt
~ son and Sheridan county imme
O o ately upon the first vote and
GO warded a judgment in full for
- cry cent asked for, and for int
~, est at the rate of 8 per cent
li0 gether with costs. The verdict v
a complete vindication for Ire
ICE urer Torstenson and each and
va eryone of the Sheridan county
vi ficials.
~ Company Appeals
Nc. The National Surety Comp;
la1 was still not satisfied but appt
'u' ed to the U. S. Circuit Court of
peals. The case came on for he
ing at San Francisco on June
The circuit court affirmed the \
Iay dict of the U. S. district court Fl
VI ing for the county on every pc
,ne Then the company paid.
Cne Tribune Fails to Report Decii
IGN 1t was noticeable that the G.
my Falls Tribune did not print a "
re, as far as can be discovered,
lau did any of the other daily pal
ioI of the state, concerning the d
9o' sion of the Circuit court, or
tne payment of the judgment to s.
~ idan county by the surety comp;
l e though none of these papers ,
Luz lost an opportunity to publish
anu ~ article disparaging TO the col
~ officials.
my Lawyers Distinguish Themsel
my Attorneys Babcock and Done
' 'ery distinguished themselves in