New-York tribune., 1918-05-01
29 Are Sentenced
I'm San Francisco
For Hindu Plots
Former German Consul and
His Aid Get Two Years
and Fine

SAN FRANCISCO, April 3o.-One
lurid chapter in the history of Ger
many's intrigue to win mastery of the
world was closed to-day, when United
States District Judge William C. Van
Fleet pronounced sentence upon twen-
ty-nine Germans, Americans and Hin
dus, convicted of having conspired to
overthrow British rule in India.
The trial Of the principals in the
worldwide conspiracy was series of
sensations, including exposes of GRIM
inal German diplomacy and the shoot
ing to death of two Hindu defendants
in the court room week ago.
The total of the prison terms i'm
posed was twenty-three and two-third
years and the fines totalled $4,000.
Louis T. Hengstler, San Francisco
Admiralty lawyer, was the only defend
ant to escape prison sentence. Judge
Van Fleet remitted Jail term of four
months after Hengstler made a plea to
the court asserting his Americanism
A fine of $4,000 remained against him.
Guilt for the conspiracy was placed
squarely on the German Supreme Com
mand, Judge Van Fleet characterizing
the Hindu conspirators as mere cats
paws of the RUTHLESS Prussian mill
tary system" He told them that had
their revolution succeeded and they
had been placed under such system
they would have spared no effort to
escape it.
The German Foreign Office, the en-
bassy at Washington and the consulate
at San Francisco were the nerve CEN
tres for the worldwide plot to wrest
India from England, Judge Van Nest
declared in sentencing Franz Bopp
Wilhelm Won Brincken and E. Won
Setback, the heads Of the consulate.
Bopp and Won Setback we're given the
maximum sentences provided by the
laws Of violation of neutrality-two
years Imprisonment and $4,000 fine
each. Won Brincken was sentenced to
serve two years, this sentence to run
hanging over him as a result Of his con-
viction for participation in bomb and
dynamiting plots against the govern
ment in Canada.
"The people Of this country are TAX
ing the law into their own hands. much
as we may regret it," Judge Van Fleet
said, in warning the Hindus not to re-
turn to their propaganda activities
when they are freed from prison. "This
country Wll1 NV StduQ 1OT any aCLlVl-
ties Of this sort, directed against
either herself or her allies"
The judges statement followed dec
laration by John W. Preston, United
States District Attorney. that the Hin
dus in this city "still have two presses
turning out barrels and bales Of sedi-
tious literature every day"
Motions for new trials on behalf Of
all twenty-ninc defendants who were
convicted by the jury were denied by
Judge Van Fleet.
In passing sentence Judge Van Fleet
said:
1The punishment is wholly made
quate to the crime, and the penalty may
we'll be called to the attention OF Con-
gress, and SO amended that it will act
as deterrent. The German de-
PENDANTS represent system that the
civilized world cannot tolerate"
Pleas for leniency in the cases OF
other German defendants were made
by both Won Setback and Bopp.
The sentence imposed on Won Schack
and Bopp to-day will run. by order OF
the court, consecutively, after the COM
pletion Of other sentences which they
arc now serving on previous charges
Of conspfring to violste the neutrality
Of the Unitad States