The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-10-16
I. I. KERL KICKED
OUT OF CHAMBER
GERMAN SYMPATHIZER is EX-
PEELED FROM THE COEUR
D'ALENE ORGANIZATION

Thomas, t.. Kerl, ex-state senator,
ex-candidate for congress from Idaho,
ex-German sympathizer and now an
chamber of commerce, got his need
ms" at Occur d'Alene yesterday when
he was unanimously expelled from
sympathizer and, automatically dis
loyal to the United States. KerI
owns hundreds of acres of Latah
county's most valuable land just
east of Pennington. His wife was
given a divorce from him recently
after a very sensational trial. The
report of his expulsion from the
Occur d'Alene chamber of commerce,
of which he was one time president,
is given in the following dispatch
from Occur d'Alene:
COEUR D'ALENE. - Thomas T.
Kerl of Occur d'Alene, one of the
wealthiest men of the Inland Empire,
was yesterday expelled from the
chamber of commerce and informed
that his presence at the meetings of
the club was no longer desired Mr..
kerl was present at the luncheon
when the secretary read the minutes
of the directors meeting, wfTicn prac-
tically read him out of the chamber
because of his conviction and sentence
for disloyalty to the government dur
ing the war.
Certified copies Of the three indict-
ments of the verdict of the jury and
sentence of the court at Omaha, Neb,
were read by Judge R. N. Dunn, who
then moved Kerl's expulsion, which
was Immediately seconded by Tom
Stonestreet and E. Bjorklund Kerl
was then asked if he had any re-
marks to make, and made a lengthy
statement, denying the truth of the
charges upon which he was convicted,
and asserted strongly that he was a
true American. stating:
II was born in New York city and
| am just as good an American citi-
zen as any of you. My grandpar-
ents came over long ago, and / have
this country's interest at heart as
much as any of you."
Being questioned Kerl admitted
that he had not purchased any Lib
erty bonds until after his arrest,
when he purchased about $4,000 worth
of them; that he had sent $25 to a
Red Cross subscription in Germany,
and several weeks ago had subscribed
to German relief fund.
Arrested and Convicted.
Kerl was arrested at Occur d'Alene
September 26, 1918, on presidential
warrant sworn to by the deputy
United States attorney, j. R. Smead |
of Idaho, and his trial at Omaha set
for October 5, but continued until De-
cember IA, 1918, when he was con-
victed on three counts for violation of |
the espionage act and sentenced to
pay a $4,000 fine in the federal court
at Omaha.
Some of the remarks alleged to
have been made by Kerl, upon which
the indictments were based and con-
viction had, were as follows: That
the American press is totally subsi-
died by Sir Gilbert Parker; that the
United States soldiers are blood
thirsty bunch and simply desire to
get their hands in blood, and that
they ought to go to the packing
houses in South Omaha and get a job !
killing animals instead of killing hu-
man beings in Germany; that the
would nat buy Liberty bonds to fur
nish money to, buy bullets to kill off
his relatives in Germany.
There were about so members of
the chamber present and they were
unanimous in ,the vote to expel Mr..
Kerl from the chamber
Mr.. Kerl was at one time president
Of the chamber; a former candidate
for United States congressman from
Idaho, and has vast farms in Ne
oraska, Idaho and Washington.