Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18

DRAFT OFFICIALS
! WIN DELAY PLEA
G ourt Grants Indicted
Boards Time to File
Demurrers
MAY POSTPONE TRIALS
Ten Men Accused of Making
False Affidavits Plead
Not Guilty
MAY POSTPONE TRIALS

The opening skirmish of what prom
ises to be long legal battle was fought
today before Judge Thompson in the
United States District Court between
counsel for indicted draft board menu
bers and United States District Attorney
Kane.
y The accused members of District APP
peal Board No. and of Local Boards
No. A and No. 10 won two weeks de-
lay in which to file demurrers to the in
dictments and to file briefs to quash the
Indictments.
IT the motions are denied by Judge
Thompson the members of the two local
boards will be called to trial Monday,
November II and the members of the
District Board will be summoned for
trial November IS.
Ten men indicted for making alleged
false affadavits before draft boards
pleaded not guilty today.
Two other indicted men, Sylvia Menna
and Ralph Camille, failed to appear in
court. A bench warrant was issued for
Menna. 1t developed that Camille is now
In the army.
Fight for Delay Opens
The fight for the indicted draft Of
hcials was opened today by Samuel NJ.
Clement, Jr, counsel for Major Frank
c. Hammond, now head of the medical
advisory board of the draft in Penn
sylvania. Clement asked for two weeks
in which to file motions to quash the in
dictments. He was joined in this plea
by counsel for the other members and
former members of the appeal board.
Judge Thompson granted the two weeks
desired.
The other members of the District
Board represented, all of whom were
held in $1,000 bail. were Walter Willard,
chairman; James Macdonald. Ellis A.
Gimbel James J. Ryan, Alexander
Lawrence and Charles II. Lafferty.
The members of Local Board No. 4.
which presided over the Fifth Ward. also
were granted two weeks for filing de-
murrers, but they were held in heavier
bail than any of the other accused Off
cials. Bail was fixed at $4,000 for the
members. Norton o. Harris, A. Niedel-
man and Samuel Levin. They will be
called to trial November II. if the mo-
tions are overruled.
Others win Extension
An extension also was granted the
members of Local Board No. 10. Lee
Laskowski, DIR. Louis w. Schwindt and
DR.. John B. Stine. Each was held In
$1,000 bail. These three officials were in
dicted on charges resulting from alleged
preference shown to sons of Doctor
Schwindt and Doctor Stine. Counsel Tor
Board No. 10 members today said that
the medical advisory board has upheld
them in rejecting the two young men for
!, physical reasons. G. Won Phul Jones
counsel for Board No. 10. was granted
until next Wednesday at 3 p. m. to
file brief.
The men who entered pleas of not guilty
today were: Joseph Diamond. Raphael
d'Abruzzo. Abraham Swartz. Max G
Swartz, Abraham Levy. Joseph PetrosNy
Bennett Morganstein, Morris Feitele son
and Nathan Rosoff Samuel Finestein
refused to plead today, his counsel as
: sertng he had not read the Indictment
Finestein was granted until tomorrow
afternoon TO plead. The ten men were
held in s2500 bail each.
Assistant United States District At
torney Walnut announced later that the
ten men would be tried before the in
dicted draft officials. They probably will
be called for trial, Walnut stated, on
September 80.