The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 7, 1923, Page 1

WEATHER FORECAST Cloudy and somewhat unsettled tonight and Saturday. Colder. ESTABLISHED 1878 POWERS IN | THREE STATES JOIN FORCES “— INRATECASE Governor McMaster of South Dakota Pledges Aid to Governor Nestos Here MINNESOTA JOINS Rate Expert, Representing Preus, Says State Is Stand- ing Solidly with N. D.\ Unanimity of action by the Exe- cutive Departments of Minnesota, North and South Dakota in opposing the demand of railroads for an in- ‘etense of 45 to 65 percent in lignite coal freight rates from North Dako- ta mines to points in the northwest was assured today in the initial stages of a conference between Gov- ernor McMaster of South Dakota and A. L, Flynn, rate expert of the Minnesota railroad and warehouse commission, representing Governor Preus of that state, with Governor Nestos of North Dakota. The confer- ence was held on invitation of the North Dakota executive. “It would be a crime to assassin- ate the lignite industry and that’s what the rate increase would mean,” said Governor McMaster, “The state of Minnesota is abso- lutely with North Dakota in this rate fight,” said Mr. Flynn adding that. this represented the view of Governor Preus. . Talk Details of Case With the attitude of all parties settled, the conference was to con- cern itself only with the details of the defense of the lignite industry against the proposed rate increase. Mr. Flynn said that the Mfnnesota railroad and warehouse commission had asked the Interstate Commerce Commission to suspend the rate in- crease before request was made from any parties, for such action, and Governor McMaster stated that the traffic experts of the South Dakota Railroad Commission would parici- pate in the rate ca: a A large patt of the afternoon was / Biss to be taken up by a trip to Wilton 4 to inspect the Washburn Lignite Coal Company’s mine, the largest under- ground lignite mine in the state, Governor McMaster is particular havipg expressed a desire to visit the mine. Informal discussion of the rate situation on the trip, together with a conference including Attor- ney-General George Shafer and rate expert Hendricks of the State Rail- road Commission also was on the program. South Dakota’s Interest ,Governor McMaster emphasizing the interest of his state in the lig- nite rate fight, declared that South ag Dakota had two billion tons of lig- nite coal, and recognized the value of the industry in sapplying fuel and preventing exorbitant prides. Mr. Flynn, alluding to the eastern coal supplies received through the lake docks and by railroads from: Allinois mines, said that Minnesota could not do without this coal sup- ply and that the lignite coal industry iso was of value to the state, The ite rate case, he declared, must. be based on the value of the various eS rs lican flocr leader. ‘ Discouraged wit Paul Hansen, son of J. P. Hansen, well known Burleigh county piokeer, in an interview says that he was born in Burleigh county ‘and started farming on his own account in 1913, the year after he @as married. He rented land and made some money during the next three years, but be- ing attracted by the glowing reports from Montana, went to that state in 916 and took up a homestead. In two years time he found himselt broke and returned to North Dakota in 1919. For the remairider of that year he worked and in 1920 rented a farm for himself and started rais- ing togsy + Deneisliy erica ae s Inthe’ spring of 1921 he went on the Hoagland fafm on the Baldwin road four miles north of Bismarck. He capitalized his good reputation for honesty and bought cattle and horses on time und picked up some machinery at sales, ° He says that he had determined that his farming methods would be along the lines,of dairying, corn and hog raising and each year he has RIVER NEARS NEW RECORD - Time on December 14 The Missouri River is nearing a record of long stanging for closing. The latest closing on record is December 14, 1884. In 1921 the river closed on November 11 but opened again, took out a temporary bridge, relative coals heating rather FJand closed again on December 16, ce alana ao bulk, Besleg by rail-| whieh also constituted a weather Governor Nestos explained the | bureau record. The river was closed by ice tem- porarily today at Huff, 20 miles south of here. Although there was no cold wave in sight today, Weather Observer O. situation only informally to the vis- itors, since the matter had been can- vassed by’each before coming to the state. STORM RAGES IN MONTANA Butte Area Is Crippled By Heavy Snowstorm river would be frozen over soom Ice has formed along the edges, extend- ing out into the current; and there is much ice floating in the river. BURNS MAY PROVE FATAL Carl Klein Injured in Blast at Coal Mine Butte, Montana, Dec, 7.—A heavy snowstorm which was gencral over large part of central Montana crip- pled electrict power and light serv- ice in the vicinity-of Butte last night. Transmission lines between Butte and Great Falls were most serious- ly affected. ¢The lowest barometric Pressure in the history of Livi stone, Mont., where a reading re tered 11 points below nomal. A high wind yesterday was followed by a snowstorm last night in which five inches fell in A hour and a half. At Bozeman ‘thermometers regis- tered drop of 20 degrees during the storm through the Gallitin valley. Canada Will Market os 3 Million Barrels of Apples Ottawa, Ont., Dec. 7.—Canada: will market 3,240,308 barrels of apples this year, according to the latest timates of ‘the fruit branch of the Domion Department of Agriculture. Figures show that British Columbia increased its production to 1,048,303 barrels, #3 compered with 795,000 barrels last year. Nova Scotia with @ Frop of ‘1,500,000 barrels, it is shown, leads the Dominfon in pro- Burns thought for several days to haye ben only superficial may cause the death of Carl Klein, young far- mer south of the city, who was burn- ed by a premature blast of dyna- mite when mining ‘at Mike Pitzer mine _on Monday. Klein and Carl Dahl were working together and both were injured in the blasy Both were taken to Mandan. A large ‘piece of flesh was torn from Dahl’s right hand and was burned severely and Klein sustained burns which( it has developed, extended through the flesh to the backbone. Many Sailors Unable To Swim a Stroke Portsmouth, Eng., Dec. 7—A Brit- ish admiral, Sir Sydney Freemantle, is amazed at the number of men in the navy who cannof swim. He has tade an investigation among the. ailors now. @tationed at Portsmouth, and finds :9,768 who would be help- legs should they by chance fall over- hee Not Closed Yet, With Record! W. Roberts said indications were the} THE HOUSE YOUNG FARMER NORTH OF CITY MAKES SUCCESS IN SHORT TIME Paul Hansen Adopts Balanced Farming Program in Burleigh County and Is Making Rapid Progress—Not at all h North Dakota had, in about fifty with good results. acre, acre. present j time of distribution. Industrial The house bi | made, it was said. | $8,889.98, Mr. take it. for the ed for it. the present sale. iembers-of the lass condition, day, December 3. the past nine years. ae Hagan It wa. comm HE BIS BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1923 of bout STREETER MAN DIES Jamestown, Dec. 7.—The death of Christian Klundt, who has resided for about fifteen yebrs near Street- er, occurred at the farm home Mon- ; Decedsed was buried Thursday, He was forty sev- en years of age and has been sick with a complication of diseases for Between them these two men just about run things in the present session of the House of Representatives. and right, Congressman Nick Longworth of Ohio, just chosen Repub- Left shows Speaker Gillette corn which he has thoroughly cultivated This season his} by the wind and rain and in some corn crop averaged 52 bushels to the | cases street car téaffic was tied Up while his 50 acres of \heat averaged only four bus¥els to the He Tias sold so far this year, 17 head of hogs and has more to turn off within the next few weeks ‘und about 60 turkeys. says that he now has a nice little bunch of cattle and horses, will car- ry over about eight sows and has all the machinery he requires, with a indebtedness of only $400, which he will pay in full when he completes the marketing of his hogs. }-Mr.“Hanstn is: not at ail discour- aged with North Dakota crop condi- tions and thinks that in the short time since he really became settled after returning to the state, that he has satisfied himself that North Da- kota is the country in which a poor man can get a start, provided he is willing to Work and that success will surely come by diversification in far- ming methods, especially in milking cows and raising corn and hogs. JUDGE PUGH TO | HEAR ARGUMENT The supreme court has designated ' District Judge Thomas Pugh to hear legal arguments in the case arising in Stark county and transferred to the Burleigh district court in which is involved the question of whether {the Guaranty Fund Commission shall ! pay off depositors in the order of bank closings or whether the entire late; fund should be prorated among de- positors of all banks closed at the Judge Pugh | was designated because of the press | of business before Judge James A. | Coffey, presiding at the December j term of district court here. HAGAN HOUSE HERE IS SOLD 45 He Commission Ob- | tains $5,900 for Property for John N. Hagan, {former Commissioner of Agriculture jand Labor and member of the In- dustrial Commission in the Frazier | administration, has been sold by the | Industrial Commission to John Park- j inson, proprietor of the Annex hotel | of this city, for $5,900, the sale to jinelude a lot adjoining the Hagan |house on North Fifth street and a | vacant lot almost opposite the house. ‘Mr. Parkinson's bid was the best When the Home Building Associa- tion said the cost of the house was declined to Under the law providing winding upyof the Building Association bids were ask- The highest of three bids was $4,600. The Industrial Commis- sion declined to accept the bid and sought new bids, which resulted in tate:l by ion that since the house had ‘been occupied by a renter for two years it would re- juire about $1,000 to place it in first Home SWEEPS COAST 24-Hour Gale Causes Heavy Damage ‘Along the Pacific ° Coast Near Seattle TOWNS ARE, INUNDATED aetoe Three Feet of Snow Reported to Have Fallen in the Cascade Mountains Seattle, Wa: Dec. 7.—Sixteen persons, ate believed to have porish- ed as the result of a 24-hour gale whic) swept the Northwest coast territory Wednesday night and early yesterday, causing . hundreds of dollars in property damage and PoripHling fco{munication facilities and inundating portions of Hogqiaum and Aberdeen, Washington, and War- renton, Oregon. Fifteen persons are believed to have been drowned when the steamer T. W. Luke sank yesterday in Ros: Strait between Lopez and Fidalgo island. Four bodies, three of them unidentified, have been recovered. The other death was that of Thomas E. Phipps, 32, time keeper at a mill in Bellingham. He was re- pairing the entrance gate to. the plant when it suddenly opened and struck him on the head, killing him instantly. With the exception gf the one shipwreck ¢oastal naviga- tion was unhampered. In many towns and cities along the coast telephone and tele; lities were put out of commission by the water apd lack of power. Falling trees an@ rocks blocked rail lines in some Anstances. ah Bellingham, Everctt, Aberdeen and Hogqiaum felt jthe brunt of the storm apparently although the storm assum. ed the proportions of a blizzard at | Vancouver, B. C. and destroyed tele- phone and telegraph communication. TRree feet of snow was reported to have Fallen in the Cascade mountains. 2 SENTENCED: ON RUM CHARGE Judge Coffey Gives Jail Sen- tence and $200 Fine William Blevin and Bruce Merrell, who were captured near a cemetery with booze in an automobile some- time ago by Sheriff Hedstrom and Chief of Police Martineson, will spend 90 days in the Burleigh coun- ty jail and have a $200 fine assess- ed against them for transporting in- toxicating liquor illegally. They were sentenced by Judge James A. Coffey on pleas of guilty, The men came from the northwestern part of the state to an abandoned farm near here for the purpose, authorities said, of engaging in the ‘moonshine trade. A jury in court yesterday after- noon feturned a verdict giving Joseph Johnson judgm@it against John Nord on a note of $170.50. The jury had before. it today the case of John A. Johnson against Axel Stenquist, being a claim and delivery action growing out of the allegation that horses of Johnson in- horses taken -up by Stenquest, in Painted Woods township. Ac- cording to claims of the parties, the horses were taken up by Stenquist, are claimed by Johnson, and Sten- quist claims damages for destruction of between 25 and 30 tons of hay valued at $10 per ton. >| The next case ‘to be tried is that of John A. Johnson against William Brown, being the same kind of an action. GET $2,000 IN ROBBERY Enter State Bank at Temvik, Emmons County About $2,000 was obtained by rob- bers who entered the Templeton State Bank at Temvik sometime last) night, according to information re- ceived here this afternoon. # The bandits eut all wires in the town and rifled the cash and safety deposit boxes, according to the in- formation. No one appears to ha heard the robbers, although one citi- zen,reported he heard noises between, 3 and 4 a. m. There:is no trace of the robbers.; BLOW SAFE Fargo, Dec. 7—Burglars last night blew open the.vault of the Pemble- ton State Bank at Temvik, Emmons county, North Dakota, according to @ telegvam received at the head- quarters of the North Dakota Bank- ers Association hére from Linton, Cash was taken andthe safety boxes rifled, the message: stated, but the amount has not. been -checked up, } ny F | actually IN U.S. DEBT Reduced Over $600,000,000 in Last Year, He Says in His Report DESCRIBES Government Firmly Estab- lished on Sound Financial Basis, He Says METHODS Washington, Dec. 6.—Secretary Mellon, in his annual report trans- mitted to Congress today, described treasury operations under which the nation’s debt has been reduced $613,674,343 the fiscal year 1023, and again urged sharp reduc- tion in taxation based on rigid econ- omy and barring “authorizations for new and unexpected ‘expénditures.” The report contained a copy of Mr. Mellon’s letter to Acting Chairnthn Green, of the House Ways and Means committee, in which the secretary said “a soldiers’ bonus would post- pone tax reduction not for one but for many years to com To the usual review of official activi under his direction Mr. Mellon attached additional argument for the general reduction in income taxes which has urged. He par- ticularly stressed the advantage which he has predicted would, come from cutting the surtax rates upon large incomes go a maximum of 25 per cent, on the ground that it would crease government income, as well as indirectly benefit the pub- lie at large by reducing burdens on productive operation Firmly Established, The government, “firmly establish- ed on the basis of balancing its bud- get each year,” Mr. Mellen said, brought the national debt, once at a figure of over, $26,000,000,000, down to a total of $22,082,209,000 on Octo- ber 31. The record, he said, was one brought about “only by the most rigid economy and the application of business principles to the govern- ment’s finance.” On the present basis of taxation and expenditure, he cited an estimated treasury surplus next July of about $829,000,000, and a possible surplus in the year after of $895,000,000: : “High taxation,” the report con- tinued, “even if levied upon an eco- nomic basis, affects” the prosperity of the country, because in its ulti- mate analysis the burden of all taxes rests only in part upon the individ- ual of®property taxed. It is borne by the ultimate consumer Hight taxation means a high price level and high cost of living It can safe- ly be said that reduction in the in- come tax reduces expenses not only of the 7,000,000 income tax payers but of the éntire 110,000,000 people of the United States.” “ Reduction in Surtax, As to the reduction in the surtad rate, Mr. Mellon said that the history of taxation throughout the world in- dicated that “means have always been found by the ingenuity of the citizens to avoid taxes inherently ex- cessive.” It was significant, he said, that the large incomés reported for taxation were increased in number each year, those over $300,000 being 246 in 1921, as compared with 395 the year before The estates of the wealthy, ie pointed out, were flowing into tax exempt securities. The treasury actuary, he continued, esti- mated that the reduction of the sur- tax to the 25 per cent maximum, against a present maximum ranging up to 60 per cent, would actually in- crease by 1926 the amounts which the government receives, the lesser rate being more than compensated for by the additional volume of tax paid. 4 Mr. Mellon advocated alsq the re- duction of federal taxation on es- tates after death, on the ground that this tax was taken “not out of in- come but out of capital,” with cumu- lative confiscatory effect. Notes Improvement. To gencral business aspects Mr. Mellon directed the cofmment that im- provement fromthe 1921 depression had been noted for a year. Sufficient credit at reasonable rates had beén available through banks, and he concluded that present activity pre- sented the appearance of being “sound and stable.” The failure of agricultural, sections to share in the betterment, however, was noted. Federal land banks, the Secretary said, had loaned $214,712,000 during the year on land mortgages. Their total of loans outstanding was placed at $789,703,704, while farm land ciations, business is primarily conducted, had increased in number during the ‘fiscal yéar from 4,388 to 4,538. Taking up the liquor question Mr. Mellon said that the nation which formerly had consumed 180,000,000 gallons of whiskey a year, had now in bonded warehouses only 35,000,000 gallons altogether, Withdrawal from the supply duying the past year was only 1,700,000 gallons. The Treasury's request for a bayreeie sath. 3 tion to increase the. Coast ~Guard, tHe Secretary said, might assist to “cut down to a minimum’ the opera- tion of the rum smugglers who seek to replace the vanished home product with the spirits of other lands. Public, building neéds, in the coun- at large and in, Washington, the port. said; required “a carefully *=(Continued’on Page Two) TRIBUI] through which their’ {6 PERISHIN’ (MELLON TELLS [CONGRESSMAN YOUNG NAMED JUDGE — STORM WHICH | OF HUGE CUT | ON APPRAISERS COURT, TO RETIRE FROM CONGRESS TO TAKE PLACE North Dakota Solon, Repre- senting Second District, Which Included Central Part of State, Will Go Into Life Position—Way Opened For Free-For-All Congres- sional Race Washington, Dec. 7.—Representa- tive George M. Young, Republican of North Dakota, is to be appointed by President Coolidge as successor to Judge Eugene G. Hay of Minneso- {ta as a member of the United States | Board of Appraisers at New York ¢ The app in accordance with a de the North Dakota representative when Judge Hay should go on the retired list. No date has been set for the change but the understanding is that on account of impaired health Judge . GEORGE M. YOUNG SELF DEFENSE PLEA MADE IN to retire. The appointment of Mr. Young would make neoessary hia resigna- tion from the house. The board of appraisers is com- osed of nine men serving for life who har appeals, in customs cases. Mr. Young, who lives in Valley ( City, was elected to Congress for the pe ixty-third session, and now is serv- Joseph Massey, on Trial in|jng’in the sixty-eighth Congress. Dickinson, Says He Shot | Previously he served in the state a jlegislature. He is 63 years old. To Save Himself It has been rumored for more than a year that Mr. Young would be ap- y mo pointed to such a place, and friends ASSAILS — SON- IN- LAW| have generally understood that he would accept. His elevation to the bench is ex- pected to open the way for a free- for-all congressional race in the Sce- ond North Dakota district. STATE CONTEST ON CORN WILL BE HELD HERE Directors of Association of Commerce Authorizes Unique Idea For State TO AWARD PRIZES Declares That Dead Man Had Threatened to Kill His Family Dickinson, N, Dec. 7.—(By the Associated Press)—Joseph Massey, charged with the murder of his son in-law, Sones Dolliver, following an alleged altercation aver the latter's treatment of Mussey’s daughter on} June 17, 1922, was the principal wit- ness for the defense here today in the trial being conducted before Judge H. L. Berry. Today marked the fifth day of the trial which court officials ~ believe will go tothe jury either late Sat-| urday or Monday noon. i Massey declared on the witness stand that he shot and killed Doll- iver only,as an act of defence which was prompted when Dolliver' threatened to kill him with a hand ax which he said Dolliver held in his hand at the time. Massey testi- fied that owing to a large number of family altercations between Doll- iver and his daughter he had gone to the Dolliver home to take his daughter away on June 17, 1922 and was there threatened by Dolliver, “At one time” Massey told the court this morning, “Dolliver, Mrs. Dolliver, my daughter, and her two children, Ross and Everett, attempted to shoot them but did not have any shells in his gun. He then went to town to get some but failed to carry out his threat.” Massey's testimony was substan- tiated during yesterday's hearing when Mrs. Dolliver and her tw. eld- er sons, Ross and Everett, testified to the same effect as did Massey that “Dolliver repeatedly threatened to kill us.” Massey's testimony will wind up the case of the defense, The state rested its case preparatory to re- buttal on Monday. AMERICAN IS GIVEN 3 YEARS Mosbach, Baden, Germany, Dec. 7. ~(By the A. P.)—-A sentence, of three years for Corliss Hooven Grif- fis of Hamilton, Ohio, was recom-, mended today by State's Attorney Nebel for the attempt’ to kidnap Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, Ameri- can draft evader. Contest to be Centered Here in January, With all Coun- ties Participating Launching ‘of a program for a state-wide corn contest has been au- thorized by the boaMl of directors of the Association of Commerce The contest 1 be held in Janu- ary, and it will be planned on a seale to center the eyes of the en- tire Mississippi Valley on North Da- kota as a corn-raising state. It may also be the preliminary to develop- ment of the annual corn show or corn palace idea. \ Corn contests would be held in the various counties of the state, in all probability, under, the plan. The winners of the various counties would send exhibits to Bismarck where the corn would be judged by experts of national repute and prizes awarded. There would be in it not only honor for the individuals but the honor for the winning county in the contest. The general idea has been endors- ed by Commissioner of Immigration J. M. Devine and it is expected tha‘ the office of Commissioner of Ag: culture and Labor J, A. Kitchen and that of Mr. Devine will take a big part in the conduct of the contest. It is believed that through this method, not only can North Dakotans find out just how good corn can be raised in the state, but the whole country can be informed that North Dakota is in the corn belt and that it produces not only quantity but quality. / Radium salt worth $600,000 would not fill a teaspoor, ‘ XMAS RUSH STARS, PACKAGES SENT TO MANY FOREIGN LANDS The holiday season for the post office has opened. ..It has been in progress for about a week or two, most of the packages and letters beihg sent to foreign lands. Some | Mrs, Alfred Zuger and have been scattered to. almost every country in Europe in which peace exists and to which mail is allowed to be sent. _, Germany, however, appears to be the recipient of a ma- jority of the packages which consist to a great extent of food stuffs, flour and meat. One big package was sent by V i her friends to the Orphanage in Syria over which Mrs. Alma Kjelland Kerr has charge. “While we: shall probably be able to take care of almost any rush that is likely to come,” said Assistant Postmaster 0.E. Lundquist, “we urge people to get’ their packages off immediately, for there are many places where they are un- able to handle a rush and the railways will be g0 flooded a minute packages that many of them will be de- Hay has been anxious for sometime] - PRICE FIVE CENTS BALDWIN MINISTRY LOSES GROUND CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY GOES IN ELECTION Leading in Number of Seats in House of Commons, But Under Last Election LLOYD GEORGE CHOSEN Goes to House of Commons, But Liberals Fall Behind Labor in Voting London, Dec. 7.—(By the A. P.)— The conserv j the other p Commons was Tebnitely wiped aut at yesterday's general, election. Mrs. Margaret Phiipson, con- servative, retained her seat for the Berwick-On-Tweed division of Bur- wick but by a smaller majority than at the last clection. The Luaborites were definitely as- cured this evening of being returned as the opposition in the comijions, as the Liberals could not overtake them if they won all the remaining seats. The greatest number of seats the La- borites ever held was 144, STANDING OF PARTIES. London, Dec, 7.—-The standing of the parties at 3:30 p, m., with 618 of the total of 615 seats accounted for, was: Conservatives, 22! Party, 158; Liberals, 128; Independ- ents, nine and~“Mutionalists, one, The standing of the parties. at 1:30 o'clock thfs afternoon was Conservatives, 166; Labos, 106; Liberals, 75; Independents, seven; Nationalists, one. BALDWIN RE-ELECTED London, Dec. 7.—(By the Associat- ed Press)—Prime Minister Baldwin has been re-clected to parliament. His constituency, the Budley dis- of Worcestershire gave bim a majority of 6,369 over Sardius Han- cock, liberal, thus being an increase of 926 over last year’s majority. J. Ramsey MacDonald, labor lead- er, retains his seat for Aberavon, morgan, Wales, with a plurality of 3,512" He received 17,439 votes as against 13,927 for S. H. Byaas, conservative. Former Prime Minister Lloyd George was reelected from Carnar- von district of Wales over Austin Jones, conservative. Mrs, Margaret Wintringhamm, liberal, was reelected from the south division ef Lincoln shire. The Duchess of Athol, conservs- tive, was returned for the Kinross and western divisions of Perth and Kinross over P. A. Molteno, liberi! WILL REMOVE BAD TURN IN WILTON ROAD Commissioners to Straighten Road on Hill Near Where Man Lost His Life The county commissioners, in meeting here, decided to advertise for bids for straightening the Wil- ton road at a point about 12 miles north of here where the road had been cut in a ledge around a hill, It was at this point that Alfred Erick- son was killed recently in an auto- mobile _ accident. Commissioners said the accident happened after Mr. Erickson got around the danger- ous part of the hill but said the ac- tion to straighten the curve was taken because it did constitute a great danger. Bids will be received on January 4 for cutting straight through the hill. The commissioners, at their meet- ‘ing, transferred $4,000 from the penalty and interest fund to the gen- eral fund to pay jurymen. They issued $3,260 certificates of indebted- ness at par and 5 1-2 percent inter- est to the Fargo Bridge and Iron Company to pay a contract bill. The commissioners, acting under the 1919 law, opened Harriett, Gibbs, Steiber, Frances, Wing and Rock Hill town- ships as free cattle ranges. Under the 1919 law the commissioners may do this upon petition of 65 percent of the farmers “of the townships af- fected. MASTER CHECK FORGER CAUGHT Minneapolis, Dec, 7W—Hugh Weller Hopkins, sentenced in Duluth yester- day, to the state penitentiary on con- vigtion. of’ forgery, has-been identi- ed as the “master check forger” ac- cused of swindling more than 300 banks out of $200,000, according to’ the local branch of « national detec: ” tive agency. a BANKS CLOSED The Bank of Oliver county 9t’Cen- ter and the First State Bank at Fort Clark have. closed .due to de 4 Teserve, according to infefmation at | the state banking department, ot