Ogden Daily Standard | 1919-06-27 | Page 9 | A. C. Townley Defender of the Red Flag

A. C TOWNLEY - DEFENDER OF j THE RED FLAG JACKSON7, Minn , Junr 27 James E. , Gillespie, a banker from Stillwater, SMlnn.. testifying today at tho trial of A. C.'Townley and Joseph Gilbert, nonpartisan non-partisan league leaders, arcused of seditious se-ditious conspiracy, declared that Townley in a political speech at Still water on February 19, of this year, de-""M" de-""M" fended the red flag and declared that It was the emblem of the oppressed. Townley was in court when Gillespie Gilles-pie testified The meeting took place M the night before a special election to choose a state senator from the Still-wtl Still-wtl water district. 'I do not remember a great deal of L Townley's speech. ' testified Mr. Gil Irgpie "For some time I enjoyed it. Then he took a different turn. He said there was a bill in Minnesota to prohibit the use of the red flag and he null sa' ne rtnew onlv ono animal that J1! ! took exception to tlie flag and that ani-""l ani-""l inal was enclosed by a fence He paid , that the Russian administration was L being carried od successfully and that "'i . that wis their flag "At this point a Russian Jew, sa-"W sa-"W dore Lott, a respeeied resident nf still Kd'tU water, interrupted I.mt ;iij lie took leriJi exception to the red flas statemen f and declared that the American flat; fJ wa good enough for him. Townl l5U5 f replied lajm ''Gentlemen look at this man here led 1' f js hc a Russian Jew "' "The mayor interrupted and said, 'Yes, he Is, but he is an American clti-zen. clti-zen. He has two bos in the var.' "Lott then asked Townley. How many boy ha,' you in Hie war"' j "Towniev got off ihe platform and that ended the meeting." HLOT, Gillespie was ross x ;i ni i ti -l 1 Rteck 1 George Hoke, thief counsel for the dell de-ll fense He sought to show that Town 111 ley referred to the r d flag only in a ri humorous vein. Gillespie admitted that Townley did make humorous remarks 'l? in this connection but insisted that, the non-partisan leacrue president also , pcfac9 feemed to be serious in his discus- fion. Gillespie stated that he had been ielflS a close friend of George H Sullivan, ciieis nho opposed the non-partisan league candidate in the special election HIV'.'