The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 4, 1919, Page 8

»interest farmers of the ' he was drinking. . agent of the Thiel service. ‘me to proceed to St. i convention of the Non- | partisan lea gue which By a Spy for the Interests No. 5—1 Am Sent to St. Paul to Spy on League Convention—The Confession—The Fight in Nebraska Continues Under Cover BY RALPH A. MOORE WAS transferred from Nebras- ka in September, 1918. The trouble between McGrath and Palmer, which ended in with- drawal of the Thiel agency from the investigation, left me for the time being without an oper- ation. I was sent from Lincoln te Kansas City, and then later I was assigned to a job in Minnesota for Corliss, one of the men who was behind the League inves- tigation in Nebraska. At the time, I was with the Waterloo Creamery company at Faribault, Minn., which was headed by Corliss, to investigate the personal character and business activities of H. P. Ryner, secretary of the company. Corliss informed me during an inter- view that the company of which he was head was putting on a stock-selling campaign. The company was planning to establish a creamery at Faribault and was very anxious to section in the new enter- prise. Ryner was sent to Faribault to direct the stock sales, and Corliss " told me that Ryner had already spent several thousands of dollars in an attempt to interest the public in the shares. Corliss said that only nine shares of stock had been sold in Minnesota through Ryner’s efforts, and that these nine shares had been taken by friends of Corliss himself. He wanted me to learn - whether Ryner was actu- ally working or whether I had not progressed very: far with this operation, how- ever, before I was called suddenly back to Omaha. . with instructions to re- port to McGrath, general Mr" R- Dear Sipr: of the league, McGrath told me that the Faribault operation would be called off tem- porarily, and instructed Paul, Minn., and cover a would take place on De- cember 3. This followed A, Moore, General Delivery, - Farivault, iinnesota,” at St Paul commenci two or three days., shape at Faribault so that length of time, go to St Paul giving us a full and comprehensive re of same and business transacted, know whether there has been any fa the Nebraska situation. continmuing Faribault operat it up agaln in a few days, factory and showed that the League was still an energetic factor in the political world, the operation in Nebraska, on which I had been engaged for sev- eral months, would be taken up again by the people who were behind the first one. I arrived in St. Paul on December 3, the day on which the convention was to meet. I went immediately to the League headquarters where the convention was held. I walked in and sat down as though I were one of the delegates. Nobody questioned my presence there, and a little later I met Mr. Evans, state manager of the Nebraska office; Attorney Sorensen, and a man by the name of Ream of Broken Bow, Neb. I sat around the rooms where the mecting was taking place, listening to the speeches. I was particularly impressed by the talk made by Mr. Townley, president of the National Non- partisan league. His arguments were so clear and he stated truths that were so evident that I began _— — THE ORDERS e R N ] ‘ » KANSAS CITY, November 26, 1918, The Non Partisan League will hold a convention ng December 3rd and will probably last I want you to leave matters in such you can get away for a short and cover thls convention, port on proceedings Client would also like to lling off in the growth or if they are prospering and would appre= clate any information which can be furnished in regard to As arrangements have been made™ with client in present case for your absence, you will let your report read for the last day you work on the Fari- bault operation before going to St Paul that you are dis- lon temporarily and will take to feel that I was in mighty poor business in work- ing with a group that had as its object the break- ing up of this organization of farmers that was patriotically trying to remedy conditions in the economic and political life of the nation. When Mr. Sorensen and Mr. Evans came to me and greeted me, I felt too cheap for words. I decided then and there to tell these men, who had proved themselves my friends during my work in.Nebraska, the plot against the League and of those behind it. Pursuing this plan, I went to Evans on the fol- lowing day and asked him to come to my rooms in the hotel, and requested him to bring Mr. Sorensen with him. Later in the day I met Mr. Sorensen, and I decided that, instead of waiting, I would unburden myself to him at once. : Sorensen took me into a room in the legal offices of the League. There I told him that I was a detective employed by the Thiel Detective agency to spy out the doings of the League, and that I canie to St. Paul to cover the convention of the - League for our clients in Nebraska. I told Him that I was tired of work- ing for the special inter- ests and asserted that I was anxious to do all I could to further the work of the League. SEES PARALLEL IN OWN CASE When Mr. Townley had spoken of the amount that the farmer got for his product in relation to what thé profiteers made of it, I began to see a parallel with - my own case. ‘I had been work- ing for the Thiel service for several years and was paid $3.50 a day for my services. At the same time the Thiel service charged clients $12 a day for the work that I did for $3.50. Sorensen took a good many notes about what I Bad told Jim, and it was ‘arranged Tater that he, Evans and myself were to have supper together and later go to my room. In my room, before these two men, I repeated the story T had told Soren- sen. It was suggested at g s raing e £ ) this conference that I B 3 CECIVEL hpan As' stated above, leave matters in such shape at continue to stay in St. - Mr. Ware instructing me = g . Paul and keep the League L to go to St. Paul for that Farlbault that you can resume the operation there when informed afiuhat tha purpose. o through at St Paul. From the time you leave Faribault une other side was doing. I | WARNED AGAINST til you return to that point you will render separate ex- agreed to this. _ 9 BIG EXPENSES pense blll covering what expenses you incur at St Paul After_the convention 2 s : : St Paul o closed, I returned with- S ¢ It seemed that themen COVEring transportation from Fgripault to St Paul and re- Sorensen to Omaha. On \ Mfimigzfifthwgfi turn, and after you return to Farlbault your expenses of, the train that was carry- » : gation ha een rather 4 . 1 . ing me back to Nebraska, ' dissatisfied with what course will hbe taken up again against the Waterloo Creamery X Wrote cub Bt optit o . had been done, and many Company. b the convention in long - of thetr}:l refused to sup- . i k Jhand. As soon as we ar- ¢ port the plan to "“renew ; > 3 , rived in Omaha 1 went iF it* MeGrath told me that Anticipating that you may be short of funds am to McGrath sl bold s g o it would be necessary for enclosing you herewlth express money order for $350 P lease what had actually hap- g us to be careful of the giye this matter your careful attention and see that in- pened in St. Paul, except- | Wore fewer men finane, 8tructlions are carried out and that nelther opsration is I8: OLicourse, snab {2 were fewer men. financ- had told Sorensen.. ' ing it. He mentioned Mr. ‘ jeopardized by handling them in the way outlined, McGrath did not com- - i ¢ Davis, the Ord postmas- ° : : ? ment on my report, but i ter, who was in the first = L ey 1 ; said that he would take | | investigation; Mr. “'Cor-' Respe ctfully up with the manager of o ' 7 liss; Mr. Wattles, presi- (5% the Omaha Telephone & Telegraph company the matter of my continuing { the. Nebraska -investiga- > tion of the League. The ° next day I was instructed to return to Lincoln and stay there indefinitely, making reports from time to time as to what { i dent .of the Omaha and 4 I} Council Bluffs Street Car y 7 { ¥ company; the manager of gfl? -3 {{ the Omaha Telephone & Nnece. o | ¥ Telegraph company and : ii a man from St. Paul as The above letter, written to Mr. Moore by Manager Ware, head of the Kansas City branch of the Thiel ' | # those backing the inquiry. agency, is self-explanatory. In writing this letter Ware not only “jeopardized” his own operation, a ! McGrath told me that circumstance Wwhich he evidently feared greatly, but ruined it for all time because the oper- i if my reports were satis- ative had his eyes opened to ‘the true purpose of those fighting the League, 21 s g ; PAGE EIGHT, 2 il i . ey b