Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-24
WARDENS TOLD
TO- ELEASE "a
WAR PRISONERS
Continued from page y

N1sN sHA kASohAs 0& ~ Ia EAtAC
terms o (which they wer sentenced
while serving with the American army
the. Rhine, for III ealleged killing
Of George Iancefield, a former Brit
ish officer.
Ashleieh Facing Deportation.
Among those whose sentences were
former newspaper q and writer OF
poetry, who was convicted at Chicago
for conspiracy under the espionage
act and given a ten-year sentence.
His sentence was c%onsrnuted upon
his agreement to accept deportation
to. England, the country Of his nativ-
ity.
other prisoners released included
Orvtlle Anderson. convicted at Dead
wood. S. d.. October s., 1918. under
the espionage law and sentenced to
four years
David T. Blodgett, convicted at Dcs
Moines, Iowa. and serving 20 years
on charges of opposing the selective
service act, who now is in St. Eliza
.beth's hospital for the insane for OBJ.
servation.
Thomas Carey. convicted at. San
Francisco for violation of the espion-
age, act, serving q. two-year sentence.
Mojick Fieron. convicted at Detroit
under the espionage act and sentenced
for 20 years. but already given a com-
mutation of sentence to five years by
President Wilson. O.
Claus Frecsc to Be Free.
Claus Frcese, whow as sentenced at
Ell Paso, Texas. to five years at Leav-
cnworth for departing from the Unit
ed States ~unlawfully in time OF war
in an attempt to sell the German con-
c,Y1o$n ia NGa~ion. n1,rc ~ y,a-- -,
similar to those designed for U.S. by
the United States army.
William u. Head, sentenced at Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, in 1917 for vio-
lating The espionage act.
Gustave III. Jacobsen, convicted at
Chicago and sentenced to three years
for attempting to set on foot q military
enterprise in India against Great Brit
ain during the war.
Jack Law, convicted at Chicago for
Violating the espionage act and SEN
fenced to ten years. -"
John L.. Murphy, sentenced to five
years at Sacramento, CAL, under the
espionage act. ~ i.
Phillips Already Out
Walter Phillips, coveted at Oklaho-
ma City for hindering the selective
service law and sentenced to ten years
though he was released on parole jan
uary 10, 1921, by President Wilson.
Jose Prado, sentenced to two years
for bringing aliens into The United
States unlaWfully in time of war.
Wilhelm ~Schunann, convicted at
Fort Dodge, Iowa, under the espionage
act. and sentenced to five years.
Joseph A. Schur and Maurice l..
snitkin. both serving six-year terms
to which they were sentenced at In
dianapolis in 1918, for violations Of the
espionage act.
Anthony j. Stopa, sentenced to
twenty years after conviction at De
troit on charges of ~obstructing enlist
ments.
H. l.. Trelease. convicted at Fargo.
in 1919. of espionage law violations
and sentenced to two years.
" Nearly All War Opponents
The list i the MAN, said an ex-
ecutive statement given out at the
White House, lis made up Of those
who opposed the war IN n way or
another. and it is made up Of less
than a third of I. w. W., prisoners,
land these have either expressed full
penitence, or are booked for deporta-
ton. The department Of justice has
given no recommendation in behalf of
the advocates of sabotage or the de-
%struction Of government by force. and
! ING pEeSluCNG lSt IL uc hNO"N JIG
would not consider such cases. '' In
addition to the five soldiers on the
list, many other cases are under con-
sideration."
White House Comments On Debs
| "A supplementary White House state
mention the .Debs case further ampli-
fled the view taken by the president.
"Therc is no question of his
guilt and that he actively and
purposely INSTRUCTED the draft"
this. statement said.
,"'sIn fact, he admitted it al, the
trial, but sought TO justify his ac-
ton. He WAS by no means. how
ever, as rabid and outspoken in
his expressions as many others,
and but for his prominence and
the resultant farreacihng effect
Of his words, very probably might
not have received the sentence
he did. M is an old man, not
strong physically. He is a man
OF much personal charm and Inn
prcssivc personality which quail
fications make him a dangerous
man, calculated to mislead the
unthinking and affording q
for these with criminal intent"
pa Summary of Debs' Case.
4Utterances which resulted n Debs'
conviction were contained in a speech
at Canton. Ohio, June Is, 1918. Mr..
Debs offered no evidence in his de-
! Tense and made his address to
| the jury in the trial at Cleveland in
September, 1918.
When Federal Judge Weston. how
ever, pronounced sentence Debs' only
statement was that 'all will work out
we'll in Gods own good time"
Friends of Debs began Immediately
to fight to save him from prison. His
case MAS carried to the supreme court
of the United States and conviction, on
one count affirmed, March 10. 1919.
A few weeks later another effort was
made and a rehearing of the case
asked of the highest court. It failed,
and on April 10, 1919, he was taken
to Moundsville, w. Va, prison. there
to begin his sentence. Two months
later, however. he was transferred to
the federal prison at Atlanta.
Debs: friends did not despair. de-
spite the final legal action. Appeal aft
er appeal was made to President Will
son, but he turned a deaf a to the
! petitions, saying as he did SO to re-
lease Debs would be to impair serious
lyN the morale of the people.
With the incoming of the Harding
a administration renewed efforts were
! made to obtain clemency Of the So
cialist party head.
Debs was described as a model pris-
oner at Atlanta In fact, Warden
VerSf and Father Rvrne Drison chan.