New Britain herald., 1917-09-19
NO FEDERAL LAW VIOLATED
 BY HARTFORD HARANGUERS
Dist. Atty: Spellacy Writes He Cannot Have Mrs. Hale and Whitehead Brought Into Court.

Hartford Sept. 19.-After Judge Edwin Dickinson in police court to- day had entered a judgment of not guilty in the continued case against Mrs. Annie Riley Hale of New York city and Alfred E. Whitehead who claims residence in this city, charged with breach of the peace following an attack on the United States gov ernment by Mrs. Hale at Socialist hall, Sunday afternoon, Special Prose- cutting Attorney Alexander w. Cree don, who prosecuted the case Tues day made, public a communication from U. S. District Attorney Thomas J. Spellacy, ill which MT. Spellacy in- formed the prosecutor that he had no legal grounds to hold the accused for prosecution in the federal courts In his letter MT. Spellacy signifi- cantly states, however. that the United States will continue to take a keen interest in the actions and say- ings of both Mrs. Hale and White head and those associated with them The action of the police in dispersing the meeting she received special commendation. The full text of the letter under date of Sept. IS follows:
 
 Special Prosecutor,
 Dear MT. Creedon
 Permit me to thank you for your kindness in handing to me a steno- graphic report of the speeches made in socialist hall, this city, on Sunday afternoon September 16, 1917, by AL bert E. Whitehead and Mrs. Annie Riley Hale and also for giving me an abstract of the testimony offered ir the police court of the city of Hart ford in the trial of the cases against those two persons for breach of the peace.
 You have asked me what is the attitude of the United States towards the possible prosecution of either or both of these persons for statements contained in the speeches made by them. It is unnecessary to inform you that while the department of justice, of course, is interested in the outcome of the prosecution of the cases in your court, it officially has no voice in any case pending in any court for the violation of a local ordinance or state statute.
 '"The criminal Jurisdiction of the United States differs from that of the states in that in the United States there are no common law crimes. There must be definite violation of some statute. I regret that there is DO statute of the United States known to me on which could be based a successful prosecution of MT. White head and Mrs. Hale for the speeches that were made by them in Socialist hall The circumstances bordered on criminaFity and were intensely unpat- riotic, and to my mind inopportune. An isolated criticism of the officials of the United States is not in itself criminal.
 'In view of these facts, am obliged to answer in the negative your query as to whether or not the United States is at this time considering a prosecu- tion of these two people. The United States will, however, continue to take a keen interest in the actions and savings of both MT. Whitehead and Mrs Hale and those associated With them.
 "I believe that the police of the city of Hartford arc to be commended for dispersing this meeting. This office is under deep obligation to the police department of Hartford for the gen. erous assistance it has received from tbe officers and men of the depart nent. not only in this case. but in very many other cases in which their
 frontlnucd on Third Ioage.)