The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-18

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The complaint Of one man set in
motion the machinery which led to
the conviction Of Governor William
LANCER and four co-defendants upon
charges of conspiring to defeat the
operation Of an act OF congress. One
man planted the seed which. brought
to fruition. will land LANCER and his
co-consptrators behind the bars OF
subject them to heavy fines.
Giles Personals. an engineer in the
state highway department, planted
the seed. Others titled and watered
it. The crop was harvested late Sat
urday night when the jury said
guilty Between the planting OF
the seed and the harvest. however
nearly eight months elapsed and
much happened.
It began, OF course, when the first
levy was made upon those on the
state payroll for five per cent for THE
Leader" fund. Employees were irked
but they needed their jobs and. as
was subsequently shown. those whom,
LANCER could reach were afraid. They
fretted-but they paid. That began
in July.
AS time wore on the burden grew
heavier and finally Personals was
moved to the action which subsequ-
emily led to his dismissal from the
department.. He wrote a letter to
one Roseman, head of the engineers s,
architects and draftsman's union at
Washington, D. c., telling him OF the
situation and asking what could be
Gone. The engineers In the highway
department had been trying to Or
ganize a union to fight the five-per-
cent racket and PersoniuS knew Of
Roseman by reason of this activity.
Washington Man Got Busy
With Roseman the seed took root
He carried the complaint to the fed
eral bureau OF public roads. which
was supplying the money for the con-
struction Of highways In North Da-
kota. The bureau was spending
money from the public works fund
and SO the matter came to the at
tention Of Interior Secretary Harold
1ckes.
What happened at Washington Is
not known to local observers, but the
first leaf appeared on the plant when
investigators for the interior depart
ment. appeared in Bismarck and in
terviewed Personals. The latter refer
red him to fellow employees whom he
felt he could trust and number
gave affidavits as to what had been
going on. The list included II. 9,
McCready. Joe Clifford. Bert LaDue
Harold Pike and Frank Cave, all en-
ployes in the highway department.
The agents took the affidavits and
returned to Washington. That was
In February. Knox became III after
q day here and another agent came
to take his place, but he also left
after few days.
Soon the agents returned and real
" went to work on the investigation
which eventually turned up the dirt
in the case. How they worked Is
something Of q mystery, but It Il
known that they interviewed hum
dreds Of persons, asking each as to
certain details Of the case. Gradual
~, piece by piece. the puzzle was put
together. The plant was growing.
About April. it would appear. the
agents reported that there appeared
to be cause for prosecution and Dis
trict Attorney P. w. Lanier was Of
ficially informed of the status OF az
fairs, although he had known about
1t almost from the first. The depart
ment Of justice was interested, ap-
parently directed Lanier to keep an
eye on the development Of the case
Lanier Checked Evidence
As evidence was uncovered Laniel
checked 1t and soon the matter BE-
came more clear The prosecution
began to take shape.
Activity OF the government agents
became intense between the time Il
was announced that a grand jury
would be called and the date tina,
body convened. Witnesses were
checked and re-checked. New one:
were interviewed. Along about that
time. It would appear, the evidence q.
to Governor Langer's operations II
the grain and stock markets came t.
light and, in some manner, informa.
ton was obtained on the financia
operations of THE Leader" A
least it is presumed that this evt.
dence was available when the Crane
jury met.
Meanwhile other sensations wer'
crowding the spotlight. Investigator
disclosed that persons In the stat'
relief administration had been squeez-
ed for THE Leader" and repor
was made to Federal Director Harr.
Hopkins.
His reaction was curt Telegram
~firing" LANCER from his ex-offici'
position as head Of the state relic
organization, which was spending
federal money. That was March ].
On the same day Senator Geral'
r. Nye demanded an investigation o.
the floor Of the senate. This was II
April, just before the opening Of tn
political convention season and tn
LANCER reaction was to charge "po
Titles" and to demand the investiga
ton for which Nye already ha'
called.
Thus the plant had begun to bu
when the grand jury went into ses
sion behind closed doors at Fargo o.
April 10. Before the grand jury wen
the witnesses were rounded up by tn
investigators. Some $50 were called bu
not all were chosen to appear. Anon
them were r. NJ. stangler, manager o
the Bank Of North Dakota: ?. {
Remington, Jr.. local broker. and
e. Davis, president Of the Dakot
National Bank and Trust compan,
al Of whom testified, presumably
about Leader" finances. Into tn
picture. also. popped George Ldeck
er Of st. Paul, the governments Zig
ure man" who evidently had bee
digging into the LANCER accounts.