The Washington herald., 1919-02-21
2O-YEAR-TERM
GIVEN BERGER,
"THE SOCIALIST"
-Four Other Disloyal Lead
ers Punished by Judge
Lands IN Chicago.
DECLARE LAWS UNJUST
Convicted Men Predict Up
risings Against Present
System-Plot Charged.

Chicago. Feb. 90.-Tventy year frs
the Federal penitentiary at Fort
Leavenworth was the sentence i'm
posed today on Victor I. Berger, Rep
resentAtive-elect from Milwaukee,
and his four co-defendants. following
their conviction in Federal Court oc
conspiracy TO violate the espionsge
act and obstruct the United States
war program This was the maximum
prison sentence under the law.
Sentence was pronounced by Judge
kenesaw Mountain lands. the triRr
Judge. after he had overruled motion
for a new trial motion for stay
Of execution was made Judge Ian
dis also overruled this Attorneys for
the defendants Immediately went be-
fore the United States Circuit Court
Of Appeals. where Judge Samuel Al
schuler granted stay OF execution and
fixed the bond at 81 900 for each.
pending hearing on the appeal
Socialist Leaders Sentenced.
The five are prominent Socialist
leaders. They arc:
Victor l. BerEer. RcpreSen "a tfve-
elect from Wisconsin. and editor o.
the Milwaukee Leader; J louis Eng
dahl editor OF the Ar1c mean So
rotary OF the Socialist party: william
T. Rruse. secretary Of the Young Peo-
pies Socialist League Rev. Irwin -.
John Tucker, SociaIis; writer and
lecturer.
Spectators hued the court room and
some Of tho women wept when sen
tence was pronounced. They crowded
around Berger and the other de-
PENDANTS shaking their hands while
the tears fell. The defendants on
were visibly affected
Judge Landis before uronouncinr
sentence. reviewed the evidence. en-
J'hssi2. sE G--ticularly articles pub
hshe ia 'f- &fgause TTsder, and
TIE snerigaS- sC=lsfs- Ia the eu-
trance Of th-- yrsrss ~.zgas into the
He s-achsd -n IN, eharre that the
iury ts1 ten s1nua15ea ~ rcmarE.
mad '1 r-slr r-sz rnce ~ court
bC't.s-- t'sT .lesIuZ b. Er fns remark
- ore 20 Er1cS " -i,a-r.es made by
tBs tefsgsp-
lyHsn tks AsF 6aa5- azru-
sgny sentence shca ] ~ - -onounc=
% each rie.I s-starrc-lt Ia which
~ PICTURED ilmser g. 81 -lartyr o.
a. clU5e, sir1slar .c thEE -rr which
anaeras sonE.-t are El oluuOnsly
rsr
g,rEgr. n, ar1t 80 5-r. said be
-I oct ps.H ug-r rz- rctract =
word OF what ne had sat8 sgainst the
war. that he was as innocent as the
court itself and that he was convicted
by "hsnd-piCked" jury, endorsed by
the American Protective League. He
said also the big capitalistic inter
ests are trying to keep me from tax
ing my scat in Congress -
Tucker compared himself and his
co-defendants with Christ before Pr
late, and shouted
Before the living Christ. eir, Z
would rather be on :his side Of the
bench with Jesus Christ than on the
other side Of it with Pontius Plate"
Criticisc U. =. Laws.
Kruse, Germer and Engdahl spoke
briefly, pointing out their views that
the laws under which they were con
yicted were unjust
All the defendants hinted at an early
hour Of reckoning" in the form o.
socialists uphcavals in America and
throughout the world
This is by no means final" sard
Berger. when asked for comment on
his sentence. Then he shrugged his
shoulders What do ! think Noth-
ing. Nothing. I hav" nothinE 10 say
in addition to what said earlier"
San Francisco. Feb. N-SociariSt
headquarters here today called a mas
meeting for March TO protest against
the sentencing OF Victor Berger auI
four other Socialists to twenty -eal-
in prison.