The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-21
GRUENIG ENTERS
PLEA OF GUILTY;
Is SENTENCED TO
SERVE 5 YEARS
Former Professor at FL
lendale Caught At Rock
Island, Ill.
RETURNED TO
STATE THIS MORNING
Tells Court of Firm In
Spain From Which He
Got Pictures
RETURNED TO
STATE THIS MORNING

Jacob Gruenig, former professor in
the Euendale normal industrial
school at Glendale, N. D., was
sentenced to five years in the federal
penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan,
on a plea Of guilty before Judge
Charles +. AmidOn at nOons Of send
ing obscene literature and photo
graphs through the United States
mails,
After being pursued for three
wears. Gruenig was arrested by fed
eraI authorities at Rock Island, Ill,
the FIRST part Of January, where ne
was employed as night clerk in the
Harlm hotel. He was returned TO
Fargo this morning on a warrant OF
removal and was in the custody Oh
Sam T. Metcalf, and his son, Elmer
Matcalf. United States marshal and
,rnard respectively, of Springfield,
III. When the prisoner was arralgn-
ed before Judge j. o. Humphrey or
Springfield, prior to the order of re-
rnovai being made, and asked If he
could give bond, Gruenig stated that
he wanted to be taken to Fargo AT
once 10 straighten the matter
a warrant for the arrest Of the
professor was issued by A W..
C,uDlsr. United States commissioner
or ian. 8. 1915. Z. S. Cameron, Unit
ed States marshal, armed with the
warrant, left soon afterwards for III
Ieudale to take the defendant INTO
custody. but he had left. On June
10. 1915. he was indicted by the Ied-
eral grand jury for violation OF sec
ton I'll Of the penal code. AL that
time a bench warrant was issued AOI
the fugitive Of justice.
Gruenig told the court this morn
ing that he was born In Switzerland
and came to America when a year
old that his parents died when no
v.yas a small boy and since IL years
Of age. he has made his way through
the world He stated that he taught
for wears in the state OF Illinois anu
later In the Black Hills region OF
south Dakota. He said that he had
been teaching ever since 1881 win
the exception OF three years when
he spent at St Louis.
.JudRe Amidon learned from the
prisoner that the photographs, Whlch
were of q vicious nature came
through a stamp collecting hrm' the
address Of which the DEFENDANT gave
the United States district attorney
a. that an Investigation Of the con-
duet of the firm could be made. The
pictures. Gruenig said, came from
This partiCular firm which was local
ed at Barcelona, Spain, and he had
been receiving them for some time
Judge Amidon stated that such con-
dftiOns had been stamped out In the
limited States and that IL Spain was
exporting such photographs to the
United States, the federal authorizes
should investigate. He upbraided
the prisoner. surprising to be teach
er of high ideals, and yet de0auchlng
himself in such vicious work as IL
was characterized by the court.
Before the prisoner was sentenceu
Judge AmidOn read a number or the
letters which had been placed before
the United States district attorney.
He asked Gruenig If there had ever
been any insanity in the family, to
which the defendant replied none
that he could recall. Before pro-
nouncing sentence, Judge Amidon
stated that he believed the prisoner
should be taken where his acuohs
could be guarded.
Professor Gruenig taught for a year
and one term at the Ellendale state
normal industrial school Several or
the letters that he sent through the
mails were addressed to a person in
Massachusetts, and told Of his ac- |
lions in the Black Hills. Gruenig is
about IS years old.