Bisbee daily review., 1918-12-13
GERMAN PL0T INDICATED BY
 THIS WITNESS
Soldier Testifies to Conversa- tions and to Having Been Told by One Worker That He Was German Agent
oar Review Lensee !vlrel

CBy Review Leased Virel
 CHICAGO. H., Dec. 12.-Initial
 testimony from a government wit
 ness in support of the charge that
 Victor L. Berger, congressman
 elect from Milwaukee; AdOlph
 Germer. national secretary of the
 socialist party: J. Louis Engdahl, William F. Kruse and Rev. Irwin
 St. John Tucker, leading social
 ists. were guilty of conspiracy to
 violate the espionage act was
 given today before Judge Landis
 in the United States district court
 The witness whose testimony marked the actual start of the trial was Arnold A. Schiller, a Camp Grant soldier, who entered the service in September, 1917, and was member of the 332nd field artillery. Schil- Ter now stationed in the depot bri- gade at Camp Grant, was formerly a distributor employed by the Ameri- can Socialist. of which William F.. Kruse. is editor. He was also mem Der of the Young Peoples Socialist league. known as 'Yipseld," and much of his testimony hinged on con versations which he had with Kruse and other defendants relative to the stand to be taken by socialists who were included in the draft. Repeated objections to the questions and answers were made by counsel ! for the defendants.
 Confessed Hun Agent At one point the witness declared that Herman Easier, described as an organizer for the Young Peoples SO- cialist league, told him that he, Easier, was a German agent of the propa- ganda section of the German govern ment. This testimony was struck from the record by Judge Landis on objection of counsel for the defense | cn the ground that the alleged remark was not made in the presence of any of the defendants.
 | 4 code for sending secret messages ] figures largely in the testimony of ! Schiller. who still was on the witness stand when court adjourned for the ! day.
 1 MdkcS OpChflS ! The entire morning session was oc- l cupied with the opening statement of Attorney Elmer Stedman. chief coun- sel for the defense, who denied spe- i cific allegations of the charge in the ! indictment and declared that social ists. while opposed to war. obeyed the laws of the country and were pa triotic citizens.
 Henry Cochems counsel for Victor IL. Berger. by whom he was defeated for congress from the Fifth Wisconsin district in 1910, reviewed the life of Mir Berger in his opening statement for his client. He declared that the defense would show that in all things which affect government action the defendants have complied with the law. Speaking specifically for MT Berger and the Milwaukee Leader published by MT. Berger. he said: Denies Pro-Germanism.
 "The government will try to prove that Mir. Berger was pro-German. We deny it and challenge them to prove it. As far back as 1914. Berger at tackled the German junkers and ad vocated that the Hohenzollern and Hapsburgs be rolled in the dust and he has been consistent in that atti tude all along.
 The l. w w. believe in direct action They are not socialists and we will show that a speech by Mir Berger was the direct cause of oust ing w. D. Haywood. the I. W. w leader. from the national socialist con ventiOn."
 Closing his statement. MT Cochem: said:
 We will prove that Victor Bergel never by letter or word agreed witt these four other defendants on an! action"
 Schiller Gives Testimony.
 Private Schiller. after telling of hi entrance into the national army, Sep tember ?. 1917, testified that he knev all of the defendants and had seel them at different times in the sprinl and summer of 1917. He said he wa . member of the Young Peoples Sc cialist league and that he had take with w F. Kruse, defendant, and seC retary of the league in the presenc of Herman Basler, whom he describe as an organizer of the league. Ba. Ter. he said came from German three years ago and was about 2 = years old.
 ? At one of his conversations wit Kruse the witness said Irwin St. Joh
 Tucker was present.
 That was June IA. 19l7,' he sai'
 "Mr. Tucker had just written a
 answer to President Wilson's fla
 day address and he said, Here
 where I catch hell from the federS
 authorities "
 Had Seeret Code.
 Schiller told of having transeribe on a typewriter a code dictated b