1889 – Mob Ransacks Times-Record Office

On Thursday, September 12, 1889, the Valley City Times-Record published a front-page article in which the writer speaks directly to the reader. The article begins with this statement: “The Times-Record would be glad if it had space to publish onefourth of the letters of sympathy and encouragement received since the gutting of our office by the Valley City hoodlum gang on August 28th.”

The writer is referring to a group of people who broke into the Times-Record office and then did considerable damage to the machinery and furniture inside. The printing presses were smashed to pieces, its type scattered in the streets, and lamps, stoves and other items inside were damaged or destroyed. The mob, it appeared, had attempted to burn the entire building down, but had failed to do so.

Included with the September 12, 1889 article in the Times-Record were reports carried in area newspapers about the destruction.

Casselton Reporter – “The sacking of the Times-Record office at Valley City last week, by a ruffian mob, who rendered upwards of $3,000 worth of printing material, is the latest sensation in that scandal-cursed town, and deserves the severest condemnation of all law-abiding people. The paper through the courtesy of the other printing offices in the town came out on time and bitterly scored the leaders and instigators of the property-destroying mob, whose lawless acts will have the effect of bringing the deserved condemnation of the public down upon them.”

Edgeley Mail – “About the worst piece of vandalism recently reported was that reported in Valley City, N.D., when the entire plant of the Times-Record newspaper was destroyed, and parts of it scattered upon the streets. When political partisanship

can arouse such a mob as did this work, it is not hard to tack on a moral. But no matter how great the provocation such wanton confiscation of property cannot be justified. Those who consider themselves sinned against are not a whit better off, and the sinner is certainly not in a more righteous state of mind.”

The “political partisanship” mentioned was a deep, contemptuous rift that had formed between Valley Citians who opposed or favored prohibition.

“For sometime past there has been a bitter war rampant at Valley City between the prohibitionists and the saloon element,” the Wheatland Eagle wrote. “The feud seems to have climaxed Tuesday night when, after a rallying temperance meeting in which Editor Root, of the TimesRecord, figured prominently, the whiskey men vented their spleen upon the Times-Record office.”

Herbert Root, the editor of the Times-Record at that time, had been a proponent of the prohibition movement, sowing discord amongst the Valley City men—whether saloon owners or whiskey-enjoyers—who were staunchly against it.

The day after the incident, Root published his view of the affair, saying he was quite certain that the violence was perpetrated by “saloon keepers and whiskey men, who are determined that he shall not run a prohibition paper in Valley City” (Bismarck Tribune). In addition, Root named prominent citizens and even city officials as being connected with the incident. He named John W. Scott, vice-president of the bank, as one of the leaders of the angry group.

The LaMoure Chronicle published an article saying that though Root “places the responsibility upon the whiskey element…this is denied, and the community is greatly stirred up over contradictory stories which have appeared concerning the matter.”

The Bismarck Tribune noted some of the theories that had popped up concerning the mob’s motivation: “Some say the whiskey ring, others say the democrats wanted to get rid of the only republican paper in the county; while it is further rumored that several of Mr. Root’s hired men quit him yesterday and he refused to pay them, and that they took this mode for revenge.”

The break-in, which occurred during the overnight hours of August 28-29, crippled Root’s business. The losses he incurred were estimated to be anywhere from $800 to $3,000—that’s equal to $23,000 to $85,000 today. To keep the business alive, he sold the TimesRecord to Frank M. Cornell, owner and editor of the Tower City Herald. In his farewell to readers on September 19, 1889, Root wrote that it wasn’t only the finances that had made him decide to move on. He noted that he was also disheartened and disillusioned by “the fact that no action has been taken or is liable to be taken by the city and the county officials to give assurance of protection of property in the future, or that a repetition of mob violence might not again destroy the property if replaced.”

He wrote that his only regret was in laying down the editorial work he’d enjoyed doing.

“I have nothing to retract, apologize for or regret in the principles which I have expressed in the paper during the past year,” he continued. “I shall remain in Valley City and hope to be able to help redeem it from the curse and blight which the knavish imbecility of the corrupt ring which rules it, have spread like a pall over its once fair name.”

Cornell wasn’t shy about his position and that of the paper now under his control as it pertained to prohibition later in September: “He states that the paper will favor temperance but will not make war against the saloon-keepers…”

Around that same time, the mob’s actions and law enforcement’s failure to hold the guilty parties responsible cost Valley City yet another business, this one to be closed down for good: “…the Farmer’s and Merchants Bank announces it’s closing on Dec. 1, 1889, giving as its reason for closing, “There being no protection of law for property in this city under the present administration, this bank will close its business Dec. 1, 1889.”

Newspapers throughout the region wrote articles that noted the events of August 28-29 in Valley City, and though some of those newspapers’ official position on prohibition differed from editor Roots’, they praised his character and condemned the actions of the violent men.

“It is unnecessary to inquire the cause when such an indefensible outrage is committed,” the Jamestown Capital wrote, “and whatever the pretext the good citizens of that town and county owe it to themselves to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Judge R.C. Cooper of Griggs County phrased the sentiment best, writing the following to Root soon after the incident: “Men that will be guilty of such an act will murder. Don’t let up. Go for them. It is high time that our better people come to the front, and place such men where they rightfully belong.”