Evening star., 1941-11-11
LANCER Tells Probers
He Knows NOTHING
OF False Petitions
North Dukotun Testifies
Second Day in Fight
To Keep Senate Seat
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Senator Langer, Republican, OF
North Dakota denied to the Senate
Elections Committee today any
knowledge of false petitions which
a subcommittee had reported were
allegedly circulated in North Da-
kota during 1910 on behalf of leg
islation in which the former Gov
ernor and others were interested.
IT want to say most emphatical-
ly," Senator LANCER declared, that
I had no more to do with that mat
ter than any member of the Senate
sitting here"
Senator LANCER took the witness
stand for the second day in his own
defense to reply to allegations
against him by group of North
Dakota petitioners opposed to his
being seated as a member Of the
Senate.
The charge relating to fraudulent
petitions was one on which the Pc
titioners offered no testimony dur
ing their appearance before the
committee last week, but the sub
committee said Mr.. LANCER. Attor-
ney j. K. Murray and others were
interested in 1910 in obtaining leg
{ islation to be initiated by petition
, of at least 1000 voters.
Disclaims All Interest.
An allegation was made, the sub
committee reported, that Mr.. Lam
gers Office furnished Andrew Feist
of Bismarck certain old petitions,
the names Of which were to be
copied by Mr.. Feist's children on
new petition blanks.
Mr.. LANCER testified that the So
called "Langer faction" in the North
Dakota Non-Partisan League took a
position against the legislation In
question and that he personally was
neither for it or against It," add
ing that he was mot in the slight
est" interested in a petition.
Another allegation reported by the
subcommittee but not testified to
by the petitioners was that Mr..
LANCER, while Governor, compelled
Ludwig Peterson, manager OF the
State mill and elevator, to con-
tract for advertising in the North
Dakota Leader, a weekly publica-
ton of the Non-Partisan League,
and to issue a check in advance
Denying that he had compelled
Mr.. Peterson to act, Mr.. LANCER ac-
knowledged that some of his friends
went to see the mill manager "and
the arrangement was made" to con-
tract for the advertising.
After more than four hours OF
questioning Yesterday. Mr.. LANCER
had covered the first 10 of 81 charges
of moral turpitude brought against
him.
Discusses Each Point.
Mr.. LANCER took up each OF the
allegations in the order in which 1t
appeared in a subcommittee report,
frequently consulting mass Of cor
respondence, memoranda and court
records piled in front Of him.
He denied that he had induced
his former part-time chauffeur to
give perjured testimony at cor
oner's inquest or that the testimony
was in any way false; he told the
committee that he had not author
lied the same man to obtain tes-
timony In another case by use Of
threats, and asserted that the tes-
timony obtained in the case was
the truth; and he depicted his ca
reer as a practicing attorney as one
of Jealous attention to his clients
affairs.
Replying to allegations concerning
settlement of certain claims against
the State while he was Governor of
North Dakota. Senator LANCER con-
tended that he had acted in the
best interest of the State only and
had received no benefits himself
from the settlements.
my general policy" he declared,
was that poor settlement is bet
ter than a good law suit"
Disputes Feist Testimony.
Senator LANCER disputed testi-
inony by Mr.. Feist that he CFeisD
gave perjured testimony In a coro-
ners inquest in 1910 at the behest of
the Senator. Feist was driving
LANCER and Mrs. Helga Kolstad of
Steele, N. Oak, when Langer's car
turned over. resulting in fatal in
juries to Mrs Kolstad.
: Feist said he was instructed by
LANCER to say that the accident oc-
CURED when LANCER distracted his
attention. He so testified, he said,
contending that his testimony was
not true and that the real cause
Of the accident was broken steer
ing gear.
LANCER said he made no effort to
change Feist's testimony and de-
clared that the latter's story Of the
accident given at the inquest was
true.
: Senator LANCER has held his seat
since January subject to investiga-
tion of the charges and action by
the Senate. The Elections Commit
tee has reported finding that there
was insufficient evidence to support
petitioners charges of election
fraud. but directed a hearing on the
question of moral turpitude to de-
tarv,i,,a ffy,oee ~ Lz1J