The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-11-22

! Defendants with LANCER were
Oscar Erickson, publisher of The
Leader, a political weekly; R. A.
Kinzer, former relief secretary,
and Frank Vogel, former state
highway commissioner.
They were chaged with con-
spiracy to obstruct operation of
federal relief measures by solicit
ing political contributions from
workers paid with federal high
way and relief funds.
The defendants were convicted
16 months ago but were granted a
new trial upon appeal by the u.
S. Court of Appeals.
Special to Producers News
The fate of former Governor
William LANCER and three associ-
ates charged with conspiracy to
obstruct an act of congress rest
ed late Wednesday in the hands of
IL federal court jurors. Judge A.
Lee Wyman completed his instruc
tons to the jury at 8 p. m. and a
few moments later, the IL men
filed into the jury room to DELHI
crate upon the evidence which has
been PLAYED bfore thin in tn court
sessions which have occupied near
ly two weeks.
No sooner had the jurors filed
from the courtroom than LANCER,
o. E. Erickson, Frank Vogel and
R. A. Kinzer were arraigned be-
fore Judge Wyman on the perjury
charges leveled against them fol-
lowing the filing of an affidavit of
prejudice aainst Judge Miller, who
presided at the original LANCER
= trial. Each defendant entered a
= plea of mot guilty"
> ASK LANCER
IMMEDIATE TRIAL
e Francis Murphy, chief defense
S counsel, moved for immediate
;, trial of the perjury cases. Judg'
Wyman agreed to rule on this re
{ quest although U. S. District At
/ torney P. w. Lanier has indicate,
e that he wishes to try a liquor cas-
IS before proceeding with the per
i jury trial.
The conspiracy case moved rap
t. idly in the closing days of tn
IN trial. After the court had recess
r ed from Friday afternoon to Nor
lie day morning to permit Judge WY
S, man to attend to some official bus
,e mess in Aberdeen, the governmer
sc suddenly rested without calm
If several witnesse who had been e.
w pected to take the stand. The dt
IN Tense called only six witnesses
ne one Monday and five Tuesday mo
an ming before resting. None of tt
IN defendants testified in the case.
e. Presenting the governments a
70. gument to the jury Tuesday afte,
IS noon, Lanier cited what he Gale
ht "uncontradicted evidence" of
re- conspiracy to obstruct congressiC
Is al acts. Following Lanier's arg
ment, Murphy addressed the jur
concluding his arguemnt Wedne
e day morning. Lanier then follow
Vt ed with brief rebuttal.
MURPHY
d CITES CHARGES
# Pointing out that the defendan
are charged with conspiracy
he defraud the United States by o
MS structing it in performance of o.
ev of its duties" Murphy declare
a GAIL of the direct evidence in tn
case that bears on any plan
scheme is to the effect that t
agreement was, if anything, tn
they (the defendants) would S
I'M licit state employees.
'These men defendants )nev
emit for one moment had any idea
md soliciting any other persons th
the those who owed their jobs to {
lay administration. l challenge I
ith friend Lanier to show any e
dence of solicitation except sts
iny employees"
av. Referring to the employees s
He aries Murphy argued, "the mi
are fact that their salaries came {
nse of monies furnished by the Ur
ed States Government does
show they are not state employ
on He mainland there "is certa
':SO ly no dispute as to whether hi,
RI. way employees are state employ
- They wer paid directly out of
fCor4;ruaS an 49, Ro,,~A