South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-19
NOT guilty. IS
O'LEARY'S PLEA
IN TREASON CASE
Sim Fem Leader, Indicted
With Others on Treason
Charges, Has Mental
Aspect of ThaW.

NEW YORK, June 1S. " nile
jeremiah a O'Leary. the Sim Fein
leader charged with conspiracy 10
commit treason and espionage, who
was brought here Monday under
heavy guard after having been ar
rested last week in Sara, Wash, as
a fugitive from justice. was pleading
not guilty 10 the federal indictments
against him. witnesses ia the trial
of his brother. John J. OLeary. ac-
cused OF assisting him 10 escape,
were testifying as 10 Jereaiah's
physical and mental condition. The
apparent object of this testimony
was 10 lay the groundwork OF Jere-
miah's defense when he is tried on
the conspiracy charges.
Prisoners Mental Condition Poor.
Arthur L. Lyons, who turned gov
eminent witness after being indicted
with John O'Leary for conspiring 10
remove the sim Feiner from the
courts jurisdiction on the eve Of his
trial for publishing alleged seditious
articles in Bull. and who accom-
panied jeremiah west, described his
travelling companion as being very
restless and nervous with no fixed
mental condition"
When James r Speer. d New
York lawyer, who occupied offices
with jeremiah O'Leary. was asked
On the stand his opinion Of Jsre-
miah's mental state, he replied that
ne looked upon him as a replica
of Harry Thaw."
This testimony followed the ar
rival and arraignment here of Jere-
miah who after entering pleas OF
not guilty TO the latest charges
against him was held without bail
and placed in the Tombs prison.
Before he was placed in his cell
Jeremiah told newspaper men that
he had had six weeks rest. adding
that he needed it, for he was lin
pretty bad shape"
Details OF Flight Told.
Details OF Jeremiah's flight were
told in court by Lyons. After stat
Ing that there never was any agree
ment or understanding between
jeremiah and John O'Leary that
the former was running away from
the jurisdiction Of the court, he as
serted that Jeremiah had asked him
on May Il accompany him 10
Reno, New, Ito try a divorce case"
John O'Leary bought two tickets
for St. Louis, Lyons said. and when
jeremiah said good-by he told his
brother he would be back for his
trial After arriving at st. Louis,
he said. he and O'Leary finally made
their way to Portland, Ore. where
Jeremiah said he was going 10 buy
farm. After purchasing an auto
and paying for it partly with Lib
erty bonds. he said "O'Leary took
him 20 sara, where the chicken farm
on which O'Leary was captured was
bought in Lyons assumed name
Thomas A. Corbett' After they
had taken possession Lyons said he
wished to return 10 New York i'm
mediately but Jerry wanted him
TO stay. the place being well stock
ed up"
said He Expected Indictment.
On May % Lyons said he showed
O'Leary an article in a New York
paper regarding OLeary's indict-
ment with four more Americans and
two Germans on charges of con-
spiracy 10 commit treason and
espionage and the fugitive said that
he expected it" and spoke of be-
ing martyr for Irish freedom"
He said he finally obtained $500
from O'Leary with which 10 come
home after O'Leary had suggested
that he would return via Mexico.
TO leave the impression that OlLeary
was there.
After he asserted that Jeremiah's
physical decline. during which he
had lost 90 pounds began two years
ago. Lyons was questioned concern
ing the fugitive's mental state
Lyons said that jeremiah, who be-
lieved himself "one of the greatest
men this country ever produced
the man who would free ireland,
began 10 neglect his lucrative law
practice six months after the war
began.
COnfederates Look for Him.
When Speer was called he testi-
ned that Madame Marie Is. de Vic
torica who was indicted with
O'Leary and other defendants on
the treason and espionage conspir-
acy charges. had appeared three
times at the offices occupied by him
and O'Leary and had asked for
OLeary. He did not know. he said.
whether she and O'Leary had ever
conferred.
Cross examined by counsel for
John OLeary regarding Jeremiah's
physical condition during the last
two years Speer declared that he
did not believe the man could live
long or that. when he went away.
he would ever come back" as a
physician had told him O'Leary re-
fused TO submit TO q necessary op-
Grafton.
He said also that. having known
jeremiah for many years he al
ways regarded him as eccentric"
and THAI he not regarded" the fu-
gitive as mentally responsible for
his actions l0r ~ears.
IT looked upC1 INN 5 a replica