The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-17
pEpPERMAN'S TESTIMONY

B. A. IcpVtEIlths SNSANeet OA N.'N local exemption board. was the first man on the witness stand and he tes- tified as to the assertion of Uhl on filing his questionnaire that it bore every claim he had to make. Collections were raised by William A Denson. attorney for the defend- ant at every question asked the wit nesses by the United States attorneys until the witnesses were unable to proceed only with difficulty and Judge Gruhb was forced to intervene. Irhl testified that he had sought counsel on the advice of his parents and engaged Mir. Denson as his legal adviser He further testified that 1t had been on the advise of his attorney that he had written statement across his questionnaire, and that, C. D. Ritter, one of the attorneys aiding registrants in filling out questionnaires at the courthouse, had advised him where to sign the statement.
 Jhl stated he had told MT. Denson that he had no claim to exemption so far as dependents were concerned, but that he did not want to leave this country to fight. and he told tho court then that MT. Denson had advised him that he could not be required to leave the United States according to the con stitution of the United States. The ueItDQdHL IneU Stiu dShCd -hts DSh- son how to raise the constitutional question
 At this junction Mir. Denson asked his client if he had not told him he could raise the question of test by writing the exemption allowed him by the constitution of the United States across the questionnaire. and Uhl re- piled that he did.
 QUESTIONED BY BELL
 United States Attorney Bell asked Uhl why he sought counsel of Attor- ney c. D. Ritter, after securing the advice of his attorney as to the prop CT place of signing the first page of his questionnaire, and if he had not been satisfied with the information given him by his legal adviser, to which he replied he was entirely sat isfied, but had gone to the courthouse to pay his poll tax and just dropped in to ask about signing his question: naire in one or two places
 Mir. Ritter did not advise him to change his questionnaire Uhl stated, but that he had sought legal counsel to protect him from going abroad to fight. on the advise of his parents, when asked by MT. Denson. The ce- fendant then stated that he was born of American parents in Jefferson coun.
 
 United States and willing to fight any man who said he wasn't, in reply to these questions asked him by MT. Denson, which were objected to by the prosecuting attorneys.
 When asked by Ralph Quinn, assist ant district attorney, if he didn't tell c. D. Ritter that he expected to get a little time for this. Chl stated he didn't remember exactly what he told MT. Ritter.
 According to Mr. Denson's testimony the defendant had come to his office with his questonnaire and had expressed willingness to go anywhere in the United States to fight, but it would break his mothers heart for him to leave this country. He stated he had told MT. Uhl that in his opinion. under the constitution of the, United States, it would be impossible to send the militia out of the United States to fight when Uhl had asked him If there wasn't some way to escape going abroad to fight When asked by Uhl how he could raise this question. MT. Denson explained that he advised him to refer to the article of the constitu- tion pointed out by his attorney on tho face of his questionnaire, where the exemption board could not over look 1t.
 MT. Denson stated he had never read Ia questionnaire. when asked the ques- ton by District Attorney Robert N Bell.
 RITTER ON STAND
 c. D. Ritter testified that when Uhl came to him he suggested he was plain ly advised as to the results of tho claim heswas filing. He said Uhl asked him where to sign the statement he had wr,aten and that after telling him there was no place for such uues- tion or signature and such a claim would do him no good. according to Mr. Ritter the defendant had stated he expected to gain nothing except a lit- tie time and that he expected to see service anyway. Mir. Ritter was of the opinion that it was his duty then to swear the questionnaire as requested.