The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-04-23
Charge Is Same on Which
LANCER and Associates Were
Convicted Last June
NAY AGAIN DELAY TRIAL
Possibility 10 Action Will Be
Postponed Pending Appeal
OF Other Defendants

oscar =. Erickson OF Happen, chair
man Of the North Dakota Republican
state central commute, pleaded not
guilty Tuesday In federal district
court here to charges Of conspiracy
70 corruptly administer the FERA
act.
He entered his plea before Federal
Judge Andrew Miller after p. w.
LAnier, United States district attor-
ney, moved for azraignment on the
indictment.
The charge Is the same - that on
which Former Governor william
LANCER and four associates were con.
vcted here last June, LANCER receiv-
ing IN 1e-month sentence in the fed.
eral penitentiary and . fine Of &c.
600. The federal circuit court Of
appeals now has before It the appeal
Of LANCER and his associates.
Erickson, state senator from Kid
der-9heridan counties, was represent
ed by John =. Sullivan of Mandan.
He was III ct the time the other de.
PENDANTS were tried and his case was
continued. Erickson has been ct
liberty under bond.
Murphy Presents Motion
Francis Murphy Of Fargo, chief
counsel for LANCER and the other de-
PENDANTS, appeared before Judge NIL
Ter Tuesday to request disposition Of
Z second indictment against the for
mer governor and his associates. The
charge Is conspiracy to violate Q law
which makes It unlawful for = fed
eral employe to solicit for political
purposes from federal employees.
After Mlrphy'S request, the mat
ter was laid over by Judge Miller
when Ianier said he would make =
decision within the next two days.
LANCER was present In the court,
appearing In connection with q mo-
ton In q civil action In which he Is
appearing Is counsel for one Of the
litigants.
There is q possibility Erickson may
not be tried ct this term Of court or
until the circuit court Of appeals has
passed on the appeals Of the other
defendants. and that the second in
dictment against LANCER and his as
sociates viii be dismissed.
Claim Erickson Wrote Checks
The government charges Erickson,
through agreement with LANCER. was
in charge OF the Leader, Nonpartisan
administration newspaper. and kept
the bank account Of the Leader into
which per cent collections LANCER
was charged with obtaining from en-
ployes receiving federal funds, were
placed.
The money, the government claims,
was kept In the Bank Of North Da-
kota in m account subject to Erick-
sons check.
Lanier contended that, according
to LAnger's own testimony, Erickson
would sign checks In blank and leave
them In the then Governor Langer's
office where they would be filled out
and transfer made from the Bank Of
North Dakota to hangers account.
Total transactions amounted to 49,
600, the government claims.
Conviction on the charge on which
Erickson was arraigned Is punishable
by sentence ranging up to two years
imprisonment and fine up to $4,000.
Convicted with LANCER were four
other stalwarts Of the LANCER admin
istration. They were Oscar Chaput.
Frank Vogel and r. A. Kinser. ST.,
sentenced to IL months and given
5000 fines each. and Harold (Ducky)
Mcdonald. given four months In =
Bismarck jail.
Following hangers conviction he
was removed from office.