The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-12
TOpekans Face Federal Charges
of Interfering With Draft.
Alleged Overt Acts Committed
at Topeka Meetings.
A CONSPIRACY COUNT EACH
Damaging Evidence Was Given
by Newspaper Men.
MOOres and Kleighe Also Held
Up at LeavenwOrth.


dictments, charging conspiracy to vio-
late the selective draft law, against
Raymond I. Moore, his wife, formerly
Lenora Warenson, of Kansas City;
DIR. Eva Harding. Ike Gilberg, and
Ernest Newman, all of Topeka, and
George Kleighe, formerly of Lawrence,
Kansas, were returned today by a fed
eral grand jury meeting in this city.
Each of the indicted persons is
charged on one count, that Of con-
spiracy with several overt acts.
The indictments returned are the
result of an anti-conscription meet
ing held on May 81, 1917, in Topeka
, Moore and his wife are charged
with advising men to refuse to reg
ister
GiIberg is charged with printing
and circulating handbills announcing
the meeting, which contained the
words, Shall we fear to protest
against any despotic act imposed
upon US by national legislation?"
Newman Presided.
Newman, it is said, presided at the
meeting and was in accord with the
plans and views of the other indicted
persons. Kleighe is charged with ac-
quiescing to the views of the alleged
conspirators by seconding their mo-
tions.
The alleged conspirators were ar
rested in Topeka shortly after the
meeting by agents of the department
of justice and held for a grand jury
investigation.
DR.. Harding was a. candidate for
congress at the last election.
Federal Judge Pollock set the
bonds of each person indicted at
$4,000. The case will be tried at the
January term of the United States
district court at Kansas City. Kan,
Earl r. Browder Of Kansas City.
who is also under Indictment in that
city with the Mocres, was also indicted
| by the grand jury.
| Got Moores at Kansas City.
| Kansas City, Oct 12.-Raymond 1.
Moore ard his wife, Lenora Warneson
Moore, were arrested in this city last
May in connection with anti-draft
! plots. Moore was secretary of an or
ganization known as the Federation
4 for Democratic Control which sought
at that time to obtain an injunction in
/ the courts to prevent the state, county
and city authorities from exercising
the authority given under the selective
conscription act. Indictments charging
conspiracy to prevent the operation of
the registration and other provisions
| of the CONSUMPTION act were returned
against them by a federal grand jury
| in this city. They were rearrested late
| in June, while at liberty on a bond of
/
Topeka meeting.
Previous to the first arrest Mrs.
| Moore, then known as Lenora War
neson, was a teacher in the Kansas
City public school. She resigned after
the authorities began investigating
anti-enlistment inscriptions she was
! alleged to have written on the black
| board.
Moore announced while in Jail on
the conspiracy charge that he would
not register but later did so at the
request of his parents.
The trial of Doctor Harding and
| others began in Leavenworth late
Thursday afternoon. The indict-
ments were returned following a probe
by the federal grand jury into meet
ing held in Topeka during the sum-
mer at the Unitarian church. So far
| as is known the grand jury called in
only three witnesses. Two were news
paper men, one a reporter on the To-
peka State Journal and the other,
Robert w. Reed, former Kansas City
newspaper man, now attending the Of
ficers' training camp at Fort Sheri-
dan. The other was a government
operative present at the meeting. The
two reporters were at the meeting and
wrote articles concerning it the fol-
lowing day. It was believed by many
that the Topeka people would be
turned loose by the grand jury and
indictments would be returned against
the Kansas City people.