New-York tribune., 1918-02-18
Judge Snitkin
Freed ON Bail
In Draft Plot
He Denies Connection With
Crime to Which Brother
Pleaded Guilty

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 16.-Protest-
ing innocence, Leonard A. Snitkin, Mu-
nicipal Court Judge Of New York, left
here early this morning for home, hav-
ing been released on $4,000 bond yes
terday by the Federal authorities here
for alleged activities in connection
with the draft law violations. The plan
to dispose of army service releases IS
said by the United States authorities
to include sales to persons coming TO
Indianapolis from New York.
Ira Holmes, local attorney, declared
tonight that he has not been retained
to defend Judge Snitkin, but that he
was merely with him when he offered
the $4,000 surety company's bond Tor
his release.
"Judgc Sntkin told me-" said
Holmes, ''that he was willing to go be.
fore United States Attorney L. Ert
Slack at once and give him answers
TO any questions that he might wish to
ask. He told me he knew absolutely
nothing about the alleged conspiracy.
Owing to the fact that the United
States Attorney was too busy with the
Mayor Bell election fraud case, which
was going on at the time, Judge Snitkln
was not Questioned He probably will
be arraigned the first week in March.
Brother Pleaded Guilty
Attorney Holmes appeared for Mau-
rice l.. Snitkin, brother of Judge
Snitkin, two weeks ago, and entered n
plea Of guilty for his client.
It was said here tonight that the
arrest of Judge Snitkin reveals that
the government expects to get at the
very bottom Of the alleged plot and
that none who took part in it will es
cape. 1t is also said that the govern
ment has taken possession of all
records of the Sth National Army Dis
trict Board, ir this city, where it is
The indictment is based on q section
Of the espionage law that provides a
maximum penalty of twenty years i'm
prisonment and $4,000 fine. 1t charges
conspiracy to obstruct the military
service of the United States, and
alleges that ut least two registrants
came from New York City to Indian.
apolis to escape army service by being
exempted tere.
The New York end of the alleged
conspiracy, which brought Judge Snit-
Even the exact identity of the two New
York men is not disclosed by the in
dictmcnt, but their part in the alleged
conspiracy is made plain by the alleged
overt acts of Maurice Snitkin and Jo-
seph Schur
Reveal Alleged kilograms
Judge Snitkin's brother. Maurice,
formerly lived in New York and last
August he was in Brooklyn in the in
terest Of the plot, it is charged. An
alleged overt act Of Schur, related in
this connection, is that on August 8 he
sent a telegram to Sntkin reading as
follows:
"Ofer satisfactory subject to accept
ance tomorrow. Must have names of
purchasers and substantial deposit
with guarantee for balance. Suggest
you people come on at once"
Six days later he is alleged to have
sent another telegram reading: Come
at once with all purchasers. Delay
may be fatal Wire when you leave. y
Government officials declare Snitkin
answered from Brooklyn as follows,
the next day:
"Two left here on the $3.50 p. M
specials follow; read them carefully;
meet them in Spencer House to-mor-
row at p. m; without fail arrange
everything in shape; money secured
and in my hands; deal closed; act
promptly"
These men from New York, the in
dictment charges, were met as arranged
in the telegram, after they had regis
tered at the Spencer House in this city
/ The telegram sent from here to Snit
kin in Brooklyn is alleged to have
said
"Deai closed; bill of sale executed
and delivered; kindly wire purchase
price to-day without fail No more
stock for sale at present; when do yol
expect to return ."