The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-08
North Dakota Y. G. i: Members
Arrested for Protesting Frame
Up Of Young Negro Worker
Three Workers Outrageously Sentenced to Jail
AS Court Refuses Them Right of Defense

LARSON, N. D.-The Young Com
rnunlst League of Paxton, Columbus
and Larson. North Dakota, held a
meeting in June and elected COM
mittee to prepare n leaflet of protest,
also to arrange a demonstration at
the county court house, to demand
the release of Clarence Tucker,
young worker, said to be part col
ored, who has been held in the county
iail without a trial since last Feb
ruary.
The entire case is glaring injus-
tice. The young worker, Clarence
Tucker, is charged with rape of
sixteen year-old girl, when the facts
show that the father of the girl is
now under arrest for assaulting her,
and 1t is rumored many young men
Of prominent families are known TO
have had relations with the girl
one of them, a son of one who fig
ures prominently in the prosecution
of Tucker. The Tucker lad seems
to have been really in love with the
girl and took her to Canada, where
they we're married On their return,
the girl was nut in the GirPs Reform
atory at Mandon and Tucker was
thrown in jail on a charge of rape.
1t Is commonly known that brides
have been offered to him to plead
guilty, which he has steadfastly re-
fused to do.
At the session Of Burke County
Court, where he was in JAIL his case
was to come up for trial--ro special
jury had been selected, only the
county panel. When the YCL leaflet
was printed, committee of three
young workers went to the County
Attorneys office and showed him the
demands of the YCL. While they
were there, Judge Lowe, the Dis
trict Judge, overheard them, and had
them arrested and put in the county
Jail for contempt Of court"
The young men were Ashbel Inger-
son, county organizer of the UFI,-
who had helped the YCL members
to write the leaflet--F. Witty of Lar
son and Robert Gladnick, boy only
seventeen who had recently come to
North Dakota from the East.
Before the boys could get advice
of counsel, young Witty pleaded
guilty of distributing the leaflets and
was released on suspended sentence.
Ingerson and young Gladnick were
held without bail. The day OF the
trial the court house was packed with
their friends The Judge then pre-
pared a set of questions, on paper,
for them to answer. 49,
He did not allow the international
Labor Defense lawyer to say one word
in argument-the boys answered the
questions in writing, the judge then
glanced over them, called out
"Guilty'-and sentenced Ingerson to
80 days, and Bob Gladnick an ad-
ditional fine Of $2o0-"which If not
paid would make him liable to sixty
days in prison" ae,'
They were sentenced to the county
Jail, but Immediately after the SEN
tence, they were carted off. to Minot
Ward County, Jail sixty miles away
from their own county. This jail
is VIGOROUSLY unsanitary. They were
held incomInunicado, the sheriff loud
ly declaring to their many friends
when they asked to see the boys, that
they were dangerous enemies OF the
government; that Ingerson's letters
to his fiance and others were locked
I'D In his safe-and she would show
them to the federal officers" etc.
etc.
The father Of Ashbel Ingerson Is
a man Of sterling character and much
influence among the farmers OF the