Bisbee daily review., 1917-11-21
TREASON TRIAL
OF HINDO0S IS
STARTED BY us.
tBy Review Leased Mire.l


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20. - Eff
forts of the United States government
) to prove the existence in this country
of widely ramified conspiracy tc
foment revolution against British rule
in India began here today when "a al.
legged conspirators went on trial in the
United States district court.
4 Bronzed, turbaned natives of India
mingled among the defendants with
multi-millionaire ship owners and
shipbuilders, high German consular of
ficials. other alleged agents of the
German empire and adventurers.
To Weaken British
The government contends that the
Indians. induced by an ideal of free
! ing their country from British rule.
Joined with the German defendants
and with adventures influenced by
the prospect of financial gain, in a
plan 10 cause mutiny among the ma
tive troops in British Indian.
Two things were TO be accomplish
ed by the alleged conspiracy the gov
ernment charges India was to be
freed and Great Britain was to have
been forced to withdraw troops from
the continental battle fronts, thus
weakening the allied forces. The plot
had spread greatly, the government
alleges, until it fiourished in many
places on the Pacific coast, in most
large American cities, in India and
Mexico
Opening Dramatic
The trial opened dramatically. Aft
er the defendants had been identified,
United States District Attorney John
w. Preston moved that the charges
against five of the defendants, Ernest
Sekunna of New York; Capt. Ralph
Russ. who received his commission in
the United States army in the first
reserve officers training camp here:
NJ. Martinez, San Diego, Cal, attor.
ney; Leopold Michaels, multi-million-
aire ship owner of San Francisco, and
Ray Howard, Los Angeles attorney, be
dismissed on the ground that it would
not be lust and fair to prosecute
them. The $4,000 bail of John F.
Craig, millionaire shipbuilder of Long
Beach, Cal, the only defendant who
failed to appear. was declared for
feited and a bench warrant was is
sued for him. Advices from Long
Beach said Craig's non-appearance
was due to a misunderstanding over a
demurrer be had filed to the indict-
ment against him. He was reported
ion his way here tonight.
Postpone Trial
District Attorney Preston moved
that the trials of three other defend
ants be indefinitely postponed. One of
these, Surandrar Nath Kar. was dying
in a Berkeley (Cal) sanitarium. he
explained The cases against Solon
Leonhauser, Buddhist priest. and his
wife Marie, the only woman defendant
in the trial, were also ordered post
poned on the ground of advanced age
and ill-health.
Five jurors had been temporarily
passed when court adjourned The de-
fense. in questioning talesmen. empha-
sized that many of the defendants
were subjects of Germany, and was
particular to ask whether the fact that
state of war now existed between
the United States and Germany would
have any effect with them?
Juror Excused
Ray w. Simonds, prospective juror.
was excused when he said that Secre-
tary of State Lansing's disclosures of
the workings of German intrigue in
this and other countries probably
would impel him to give more cre-l
dence to the governments case than
to any testimony offered by defense.
He explained that this attitude was
impersonal
Your attitude probably reflects that
of many other American citizens
mented Judge William C. Van Fleet,
who is presiding
The trial probably will consume
three months. said District Attorney
Preston, who is conducting the prose
cution. Eleven attorneys appeared for
the varous defendants.
Soldier Guards
Hindu prisoners who, because of
lack of pail are held at the military
prison on Alcatraz island. are accom-
panied to the court by detachment
of armed United States infantrymen.
Special precautions were taken tol
guard the court room against unto
ward occurrences. The trial is closed
10 tho nuhiic and admission ie hv card Z