AN ODD DEFENSE.

J. W. Arrowsmith's Reason for Not Paying His Debts.

HIS WORKING CAPITAL STOLEN

He Failed to Explain in Bankruptcy Proceedings and Was Called Up For Contempt.

An odd defense was put up this morning in the United States district court in the case of the state against John W. Arrowsmith of Holland, Minn. Arrowsmith was in business at Holland as an implement dealer. He was ajudged a bankrupt and called before the referee in Minneapolis to make a statement. At that time he refused to answer the referee's questions intelligently and was arrested for contempt of court.

When the case was opened before Judge Lochren this morning, his attorney alleged that Arrowsmith had been doing an unprofitable business as a farmer and had purchased the business of a farm implement dealer at Holland. Business at first was good, but fell off and he was not able to support his family.

At that time there was living with him a German, who had invented a boat pronounced by all who saw it a wonderful craft, and Arrowsmith believed that if the device could be patented there would be big money in it. He accordingly sold his farm and other personal property and secured from all sources some $2,000, with which he intended to start a factory for the manufacture of the craft, or to place it in the hands of some eastern firm. He was called away from home, and when he returned a few days later, the money, which he had hidden in the trunk, was missing, and the German had left the city. His wife, who was the only one besides the inventor who knew where he kept his money, said she did not know where it had gone, and it is the supposition that the German had made away with it and returned to Germany.

This money, it was claimed, was to have been put to use that would bring immediate returns which would be used to pay the debts contracted by Arrowsmith during the years of his unprofitable business. He had not made the statement of these facts to the court at the time he was summoned before the referee, because at that time he had no evidence.