The Mankato free press., 1917-11-02
TriaI.Body Was OUTPUT Twenty.
Five Minutes During This
Forenoon
DEFENDANT WAS SILENT
Socialist Secretary Denied Sc
ditious Charges When On
Witness Stand
From Saturdays Daily.

FROM saturdays Daily.
Three years in the federal prison at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was the
sentence meted out to Abraham l..
Sugarman, state secretary of the
socialist party, early this afternoon
by Judge Wilbur F. Booth of the fed
eral court. The jury, after being out
twenty-five minutes, returned a ver-
dict at 1910 o'clock finding the de-
fendant guilty of attempting to incite
and mutiny among the
military forces of the United States.
Sugarman was asked by the court
whether he had any reason to give
why sentence should not be pro-
nounced, or had any statement to
make, and he said he had nothing to
say The defendant did not lose his
composure either during the reading
of the verdict or when the sentence
was pronounced, though he was pale
and evidently laboring under a great
nervous strain.
His bond of $500 was continued
At the request of his attorney, Sey-
mour Stedman, stay in the execution
of the sentence was granted until
December 1. Mr. Stedman filed notice
of motion for new trial, which will
be argued in st. Paul at that time. Mr..
Stedman in this argument will attack
the judges charge, to which he took
exception this morning. He remarked
that under that charge about any
part of the defendants speech at the
Kelso meeting would convict him, and
he considered the charge unfair.
What the Law Provides.
Under} the law, a person might be
sentenced for such an offense any
where from one day to twenty years.
The judge remarked that while the law
was made to cover offenses much more
serious than the one of which Sugarman
was convicted, his offense was by no
means a trivial one.
After court convened this morning,
Mr. Stedman addressed the jury for
about an hour in defense of his cli-
ent. He declared that the case of the
government rested mainly on the
testimony of G. w. Wolter and that
it had been refuted and rebutted two
to one. Stedman appealed to the
sway their minds.
Mr.. Jacques closed for the govern
ment in about half an hour and the
charge by Judge Booth took about the
same length of time.
Sugarman On the Stand.
Abraham 1. Sugarman, state secretary
of the socialist party, on trial in the
United States district court on the charge
of attempting to stir up insubordination
in the military forces of the country, was
on the witness stand in his own behalf
ceeded to present it's testimony after
Judge w. F. Booth had overruled the
demurrer to the indictment.
Sugarman said his home was in Min
neapols. He would be twentythree years
old after a few days. He was registered.
He said that he told the audience in that
Kelso speech that he had heard that
about 5000 men in st. Paul had not
registered, but if he said 5000 socialists
he had misspoken himself as there were
not that many socialists in ST. Paul. He
denied absolutely that he told anybody not
to respond to the call He said he was
asked by somebody in the audience:
What would you advise me to do if
should be called for a physical eXamina-
tion?'' and that he replied: "You will have
to CO." Then he was asked: ''Well sup
pose l don't go?" and he replied: well,
in that case they will come and get you."
L
asked him: Suppose they tried to arrest
this whole assembly," and he replied:
well. they would have hell of a time
doing it,
Sugarman testified that there were two
petitions circulated at this meeting. One
was already there when he came. 1t
urged congress to repeal the conscription
act and he himself brought the other pc
tition, which asked congress to submit
this conscription act to a vote of the
people.
Made His Denial.
Sugarman said he did not urge or at
tempt or intend to urge, counsel or ad-
wise any registered man to become in
subordinate or to refuse to perform acts
of military duty. He said he did not do
that at this meeting or at any other
time. He said he had urged the farmers
at this meeting to organize and he was
there to secure applications for member
ship in the socialist party.
Sheriff Evald w. Zacharias of Sibley
county testified that at the Kelso meet
ing he did not hear the questions asked
ment'S witnesses or the answers to
which these witnesses had testified He
said he did hear Sugarman say in
answer to a question from somebody that
if he was called to military service he
should go. Under cross-eXamination, he
said there were forty to fifty registered
men at the meeting, which comprised
about 800 persons. He admitted that his
attention was distracted great deal by
people who were talking to him.
Ernest Lieske of Henderson testified
that he did not hear anybody ask any
questions of Sugarman after the latter
had left the automobile where he spoke
and there were no questions asked as he
knew, because he walked with him all
the way from the hall. He thus contra
dicted the testimony of several govern
ment witnesses.
Took Up Collection.
His brother. Fred A. Lieske of Hender-
son, testified that he was the one that
took up collection for the meeting He
said that Sugarman did not tell anybody
not to report for military service. He said
the object of that meeting was to petit
tion congress not to send the boys across
the ocean. He said he and his brother got
up this meeting. He said they did not
have any bills to advertise it but they
went out and circulated the word. He
said he and his brother got the speaker,
Sugarman, by communicating with the
socialist party. What they wanted was a
speaker on the subject of the boys going
across the ocean.
At this point the defense rested
District Attorney Alfred sJaques ad-
dressed the jury briefly. His plea took
about half an hour. He reviewed the evil
dence that had been presented by the