Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-08-20
ExtOrtiOn Plot
Lands BOu|dS
In Valley Jail
"Shakedown" Racket Is Ex-
posed by Valley County
Officials

Following their arrest by Valley
county officers last Monday night on a
charge of %extortion, John Boulds of
Plentywood and s~on-in-law, George
Thompson pleaded not guilty when ar
raigned Saturday at Glasgow.
Boulds' bond was set at $500. He is
in the county Jail at Glasgow in de-
fault of the bail. Thompson has been
released on $1,000 bail.
Efforts were being made today to
secure bail for Boulds, it was said at
Glasgow today.
When arraigned Boulds and Thomp-
son had no attorney.
S1,25O ExtOrtion Attempt
The arrest of Boulds and Thompson
was an attempt at a "shakedown rack
ct directed at Bert Nelson, owner Of
Bert's Bright Spot, resort in Delano
Heights near Wheeler.
According to the Glasgow Courier
"Boulds, who had previously told Of
ficers he was a representative of the
Producers News, Plentywood news
paper, was arrested as he stepped out
of a room in the Great Northern hotel
in Glasgow at $50 Monday night. Of
6cers took $3.50 in currency from
Bculds' pocket, all of it marked and
with numbers recorded, which Nelson
said he has just given Boulds in the
in return for Boulds' promise
not to write up Nelson in the Plen-
newspaper and to drop 4
court charge against Nelson. Thomp-
son was arrested later.
Trap Is Set
Boulds' arrest came as part of a
carefully designed trap by members
If the county attorneys and sheriTs
'fice, after Nelson had reported the
.,xtortion attempt to them. Nelson, as
,e left the hotel room, indicated by a
,r%earranged signal that he had paid
he money. UndersheriH Hugh Borton
'rl Deputy Charles c. Taylor, who
we're hiding in watch nearby, at once
Boulds and searched him for
he money. Deputy Lee Chouinard was
tationed outside the hotel window to
orestall any attempt to escape.
was arrested in Wheeler by
3orton and Deputy William May.
Boulds, on July 81, acted as COM
witness against Nelson in a
complaint which charged that the lat
err permitted minors to loiter in Bert's
Spot, the minors were sold beer
md Intoxicating liquor and that mi
lors were employed as taxi dancers.
Three minor girls, including Boulds'
laughter, were mentioned in the COM
,laint. Nelson pleaded not guilty a. a
preliminary hearing and was released
n bail of $500.
at was this charge, officers said,
which formed the basis for the alleged
,xtortion attempt. The complaints
Boulds and Thompson state
hat they threatened Nelson that I'M
he paid them S1,250 they would
him to be prosecuted and con-
victed under the charge and would
him to be written up in the
Producers News and thereby ruin his
BUSINESS and hold him up to ridicule
n public
Promised To Drop
"It is further alleged that the men
Promised Nelson they would not APP
ear against him if he paid $3.50 and
he prosecution would be dropped and
The said Bert Nelson agreed to turn
'ver to the said defendants or to such
'erson as they should name, his gam
ling paraphernalia and the use Of his
ambling room to operate until
hey obtained the balance of said
1880
Search of Boulds' effects after the
disclosed a number of adver-
and subscription order blanks
18th Producers News headings which
ad been signed by Boulds as its rep
sentative. Boulds also carried a brief
ase containing Communist literature
nd magazines, as we'll as correspond
ace concerning radical activities,
of them on the Fort Peck prof.
It. Literature included copies Of the
international, AN Organ of Rev.
utionary Marxism' Officers also
und a policeman's billy or sap in the
lief case.
"Also taken from Boulds' possession
/Co-4, -. 1oc4 .lAnnA