The sun., 1919-04-02
SEATTLEI. W. W. GET
SHORT DELAY HERE
Federal Judge Limits Issues in
Habeas Corpus Arguments
!; on Deportations.
STILL PREACH ANARCHY
Nineteen Reds Hold Bolshevik
Meetings Daily on Ellis
Island.
STILL PREACH ANARCHY

A. Warner Parker, chief law OFFICER
OF the Bureau OF immigration, told
Judge A. ". Hand In the Federal Dis
trio Court yesterday that /. w. w.
prisoners at Ellis Island awaiting de-
portation are spreading anarchistic
propaganda among the immigrants. Mr..
Parker. opposing delay in disposins OF
wr'ts OF habeas corpus sued out for
eighteen men aud one woman Of the
original company OF undesirable aliens
shipped here from Seattle. said that the
prisoners Instead Of refrsining from tho
agitation that caused their arrests hold
daily meetings at which the Government
Is denounced, Bolshevism praised and
anarchistic songs sung. The meetings
are held within the hearing OF other i'm
migrants detained on the island, he said,
ana these applicants for admission are
In danger of being contaminated"
CHARLES Recht. who, with Caroline A.
Lowe OF Chicago. is counsel for the
j. w. w. prisoners. argued for an -sd-
Journnent OF argument for a month on
tho ground that he could not prepare
the individual defences against depor-
taton within that time.
MT. Recht declared that the defence
would involve an attack on the i.nmigra-
tion act OF 1917, which, he said, was be-
Tore court for the first time He said
that the act was 60 loosely drawn that
II made 1t possible for officials to ban
ish" American citizens. Recht added
that Louis Mischi. one of the prisoners
In the original batch from Seattle, was
born In Cleveland In 1890.
Alien Admits Misstatement.
Mr.. Parker said that Mischi's case had
been investigated and the defendant had
been compelled to admit. after an in
vestigation had been made by the De-
partment of Justice in Cleveland. that he
was born In Switzerland.
Judge Hand set next Tuesday as the
DAY FOR oral argument on the writ. He
made II plain that he would not permit
the defence to make issues of the 1917
immigration act or OF labor troubles in
the Northwest. He said the only rele-
want matter was the fairness of the
hearings given to the accused by the De-
partment Of Labor. the accuracy Of the
records of these hearings and the status
OF the prisoners as citizens or aliens.
Mr.. Recht declared that the transcript
Of the records Of the hearings would be
attacked. He said that the inspector
who conducted the hearings acted as tho
stenographer. Judge and jury and showed
hts prejudice by stigmatizing members Of
the I. w. w. as "the scum of the earth"
The lawyer added that he would prove
that the inspector had indirect connec-
tons with the big lumber dealers of the
Pacific coast.
Some of these men have been in this
country for years. one of them for sixty
years." said Recht. Some of them own
that hnr In
to live here has beconie vested right.
We wish to show the conditions that ex-
listed in the Northwest"
U. s. History Not an Issue.
Judge Hand said he would not permit
Che history OF the United States or Of
the Northwest to be gone into as part OF
the habeas corpus proceeding.
Mr.. Parker asserted that the prisoners
for Its object the establishment Of a
Soviet Government in the State OF Wash.
irgton. Their party got nearer TO sue
cess than most people in the East be-
lieve, he said.
Ben A. Matthews. Assistant United
States Attorney, said that writs OF ha-
beas corpus for four Of the prisoners had
been sued out in the State Of Washing
ton and had been dismissed. He said II
had become the practice of lawyers for
this class OF accused persons TO wait I'M
I'll they are assembled at Ellis Island
and then to delay their deportation by
writs In this district.
M. Parker said that all OF the cases
had been reviewed by the Immigration
Bureau and no possibility of injustice
had been overlooked. Fourteen OF the
original party from Seattle had been
paroled. he eaid. after the review. He
said that the prisoners had been under
arrest for fifteen months and that there
had been no undue haste. He urged that
the cases be disposed OF and the Govern
fnent be permitted to deport the prison.
ers, because while the matter continues
TO be agitated there is much talk that is
harmful q the GoYernment.