The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-12-20
TIME FOR ACTION

lime FOR ACIlON
At the session of the Federal Grand
Jury at Minot, North Dakota, two or three
weeks ago, new indictments were returned
against the several farmers who were in
dicted a year ago last fall on some charge
or other growing out of a penny sale that
occurred near Westby on the Dakota side.
two years ago last October, when a hi
lacking bunch of uSuerers known to in
fanny as the Minot Credit Corporation. at
tempted to do a farmer out of his all on
paper that firm had secured by getting
the farmer to sign a property statement
which later turned out to be mortgage.
The Minot Credit Corporation, motor
ious for its crooked business activities, at
tempted to fOreclose on this phoney mort
gage, but was defeated in its purpose by
the Holiday Association and the United
Farmers League of Sheridan, county, Mon
tana, and by the Holiday Association of
Divide county, North Dakota. The Mon
tana farmers came in solidarity at the in
vitation of the Divide county farmers.
Shortly after the sale" a number of
Federal dicks" came into this area,
checking up on the farmers and workers
participating. The Minot Credit Corpof-
alton pocket pickerS had complained tG
the federal government who was too will
ing to help the SINNERS of the farmers and
this poor WeStby farmer in particular. Il
said it had been abused when it was halt
ed In the collection of a fraudulent and
usuriouS mortgage, claiming Federal in
PREVENTION because fedral funds were in
volved in tn sold property.
A year later, Ed Ferguson, Elmer Bo-
dine, boy by the name of Halvor Christ
ofersen, Alfred Helm, and Victor and
Torvald Nelson of Westby, and Simon
Swanson of Plentywood, We're indicted and
arrested by the U. S. Marshall on the
charge of Conspiracy to Defraud the I'm
tied States Government and arranged
before tn Federal Court at Minot. A de-
fence committee was hastily organized,
lawyers employed at considerable expense,
and at the preliminary hearing, the in
dlctment was quashcd because the farm
ers had been charged under a federal law
passed several months after the "Sale"
had taken place.
But Judge Miller of the Federal Court,
the United States District court for the
District of North Dakota, while dismissing
the indictment, held the dfendents under
bonds pending further action of the feder-
al grand jury, after delivering one of his
famous" harangues from the bench,
very novel procedure.
The indicted farmers and workers re-
turned to their several homes. Many pro-
tests OF this prosecution were sent to
Judge Miller who waxed indignant, and had
several more farmers and workers cited
for contempt of court, for daring to send
his honor protest against behavior some
what reminiscent of old Judge JeffrieS of
the Bloody ASsizes." In an outburst he
told one of those cited for contempt, Char
les Joslyn of Glasgow, to "go home and
grow q new soul"
The recent Indictment, reindicted all
who were previously indicted, except young
HalvOr Christensen of Westby but
added two new names, that of Erick Oh
son of Comertown and Hans Hardersen,
State Secretary of the United Farmers
League of Montana, of Archer, both ae-
tive IN Holiday and United Farmers Lea
que activities in the fighting of forced
sales and foreclosures and evictions. Tie
next trial of these farmers and workers
Will likely come up at the next term Of the
Federal Court at Minot, tho Hardersen and
Olson have not yet been arrested. The de-
1eat OF the conviction of these farmers will
require money for defence and publicity
campaign that will carry the facts to and
rally the farmers of the northwest. Only
1855 SNO@AOh VIII sup ILLS IrdH0up anu
save these farmers who have so molly
fought for the right, the human rights of
themselves and their neighbors to live
OF the right to house and feed their wives
and children: and they must be defended
70 the last ditch. Their prosecution is the
prosecution of every farmer in the state
ana nation; their prosecution is our pros
ecution.
mere is no time to lose. Organization
must must be perfected and money raised. The
rrooucerS News calls upon the farmers
ana workers everywhere to come to the
9elence OF these indicted farmers, and to
do so at once.