New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-13
Many to Testify Against
Accused East Side
Exemptors
Those They Rejected
Will Be Re-examined
IndictmentsAgainst Others,
Not Yet Under Arrest,
Predicted


take action on the cases of Louis /.
Cherey, DR.. S. j. Bernfeld and Kalman
Gruher, the alleged go-between, who
were arrested Saturday charged with
violations of the selective draft act.
John C. Knox and Edward NJ Stan
ton, Assistant United States Attorneys,
spent the day in the Federal Building
examining witnesses who will be called
before the grand jury to-day. They
said that additional evidence was OBJ
tanned tending to show that men had
been exempted from the draft for sums
ranging from 500 to $500.
Other Boards Investigated
While Mr.. Knox and Mr.. Stanton
were examining these witnesses, many
of whom had been exempted by the
board, William NJ. Ofley, local super
intendent of the Bureau of Irvestiga-
tion of the Department of Justice, and
his staff were busy running down re-
ported irregularities, not only of Board
80, but other boards.
Deputy Attorney General Roscoe S.
! Conkling, with several men from his
staff, spent the day at the headquar-
ters of Board SO in Public School ss,
at Rivington and Lewis streets. On
his return to his Office last night Mr..
Conkling said:
"We have made thorough investi-
cation of the records kept by the
board, and find that they were kept in
| accordance with the regulations. But
just how many Of the exempted men
were illegally classified as physically
| unfit we will not know until we have
reexamined ALL"
Mr.. Conkling said that, in justice to
the other boards throughout the city,
it ought to be said that the members
| of the boards did their work faithfully
and patriotically.
at is true that there have been
complaints made against a few Of
them," continued Mr.. Conkling, "but
most of them bear on their faces evil
dence of spiteful motives. All COM
plants, anonymous and otherwise, are
Immediately turned over to the De-
partment Of Justice
New Board in District 80
Mr.. Conkling announced that a new
board has been selected to reexamins
all the youths of selective draft age in
| Exemption District 80. The members
of the board are Max Stendler, of PIT
Stanton Street; Louis Birnhak, of 95
Cannon Street, and Dr. L. Spanier. Of
103 Cannon Street. The names of the
three men were telegraphed to Washing
ton yesterday, and their confirmation
by the President is expected the first
thing this morning, so that the work
of the board can begin not later than
noon.
Mr.. Conkling said that the non-meG =.
ical members were recommended to the
Governor by the Mayors Committee.
and DR.. Spanier was selected by his
office.
Both state and Federal officials main
tanned considerable secrecy regarding
the result of yesterdays investiga-
tions. Assistant United States Attor-
ney hnoX, however, admitted that the
charges against the three men grew
more serious as the investigation pro-
gressed.
Others Face Arrest
If the stories told yesterday are cor
roborated, indictments against men not
yet under arrest will be found In JUS
tice TO DR.. Henry NJ. Groehl, brother of
Magistrate Groehl, the third member of
the board, it must be said that yester-
| days investigation only served to ex-
onerate him completely.
The indictment will probably charge
I those named therein with conspiring to
violate the selective draft act, an Of
fence punishable by two years impris-
onment and $4,000 fine. 1t was on this
charge that Emma Goldman was con-
| victed.
The prisoners will be arraigned be-
fore Commissioner Hitchcock this
morning, when they will offer $4,000
cash bail.
Other nezcs of city draft er-
emption boards on last page.