Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-21
BERGER DRAWS 20 YEARS FOR
 CONSPIRACY
Four Other Socialist Lead CTS Get Maximum Sentence
LIKENED THEMSELVES
 TO GREAT MARTYRS
Judge AliSchuler Grants Each Bail And Urges
 Silence.

Chicago, Feb. Feb. 20.-A maximum prison sentence of twenty years was imposed by federal Judge I4andis to- day upon Congressman-elect Victor L. Berger, of Milwaukee, and four other socialist leaders, who in final pleas likened themselves to history's greatest martyrs. The five men, con- vlcted of conspiracy to obstruct the draft in violation of the espionage act, succeeded in obtaining release on $25,000 bail from Judge Alschuler, and declared they would carry their legal fight to the United States supreme court if necessary.
 Besides Berger, publisher of the Milwaukee Leader, the other convicted men are:
 Rev Irwin St. John Tucker, lectur- CT and writer.
 Adolph Germer, national secretary of the socialists party.
 J. Louis Engdahl, editor of the American socialist.
 William F. Kruse, head of the Young Peoples socialist league.
 Denied New Trial.
 Judge Landis overruled motions for a new trial, for stay of execution, and for bail, but granted the filling of a petition for a writ of error. Counsel for the convicted men then went before Judge Samuel P. Alschul- CT, of the United States circuit court of appeals and asked for bail.
 Judge Alschuler said he hesitated to grant the motion for bail lest the defendants continue their socialistic agitation. He interviewed each of the five and then granted them bail, in- creased from $10,000 to $25,000, with the understanding that they refrain from resuming their former acts and utterances during the pendency of their case William Bross Lloyd, Chicago millionaire, who was socialist candidate for United States senator at the last election appeared and offered to provide surety for the five. There was delay in arranging for the bonds and the men were technically placed in the custody of the federal marshal and the convicted men gave evidence of some delay as late in the night their bonds had not been perfected.
 The new bonds had been fixed at S25, ,OO0 on each count, and each of the five was guilty oh two counts. The surety, too, was required to be double the sum fixed. or $100,000 each, or S5OO,OO0 for all.
 Berger and his four assistants took full advantage of the customary l11- ouiry of the judge whether or not they had anything to say before sen- tences were passed, and the Milwau- kee congressman-elect finished read ing his 200 word typewriter state ment with tears streaming down ms face. He professed no surprise at the verdict, though declaring his convlct, ion of the constitution and asserted he would retract nothing he had said or written.
 Socialists to Reign.
 The war was an imperialistic and commercial one, Berger declared ana lover half the white race IS m a chaotic state of revolution out or which must develop an orderly socla- list reign within five years"
 He declared that if the present! "svstem" continued, the "capitallsts. will "surely create anarchism" ana would prepare this country for a revo- ,,,t;on such as the world has never seen before." :u
 "The so-called league of nations IS s;mnlv a thin screen behind when can;ta)stic classes of the winning slde arc dividing the spoils," said Berger, who also declared that "Amerlcanlsf,, r is now synonymous with capitalsm.
 Irwin St. John Tucker, in ms plea compared himself and the others to :Iesns Christ before Pontius Pliate.
 Judge Landis at the conclusion o1 the Attendants statements. without other comment, sentenced the flve to eavenwoth penitentiary each TOT twenty years.
 The wives of the convicted men ,vora in court. but exhibited no visible s;gns of emotion when sentence was nassed. The men themselves, with tne execution of Engdahl, who appeared shocked. received the sentence stolcal, Ivy All said they expected 1t, except Rerper. who refused to say anytnlng.
 Ticker even took the sentence ,;ohtlv. and with a smile said:
 T win my bet. The day after the i ;,d;c+ment was returned, 1 bet wed oct oct the limit, and we sure did.
 Tucker even attempted to give a . conv of one of his poems to Judge Lan- ' d;e who took no notice of the proffer I and 2 bailiff waved Tucker away,
 Kruse thought there were two pos abilities for freedom, that or a rever. T sal by the upper courts, and anotnel that "the people will realize the m, justice of the thing and will soon pun stop to this sort of thing"