The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-16
ONSP|RATORS ID STOP WAR GE ! L|BERT I '.
Coolidge Commutes Sentences Internationally In Cases Of 31 Men Sent Up For Long
 Terms By Federal Courts
THEIR CIVILIAN RIGHTS NOT RESTORED BY ORDER
Marks Last Chapter In Ma tionaI Move Against Radi-
 calls For Efforts To 0bstruct
 Arms Program Of U. 5.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.--Federal prisons are now free of I. ". W.'s convicted during the war at the three famous trials in Chicago, Wichita and Sacramento.
 President Coolidge today, acting on the recommendation of the board he appointed to advise him In this matter, internationally commuted the sentences of the 81 remaining prisoners.
 His action restored the men to lib- erty, but did not restore their civil rights, which could have been accom- plished only by a full pardon.
 The men will be freed as soon aA the necessary warrants arc forward ed by the department of justice to the warden of Leavenworth prison. where the men are held. All have been confined for more than five years.
 Of the si freed today. s4 were of the Sacramento group, ! of the Chi cago group and 2 of the Wichita group.
 Nine Of the men freed today were offered freedom last July by Presi- dent Harding on condition they would agree to be faw-abiding citizens. or. if aliens. be deported. These nine re- fused to accept the conditions. The unconditional clemency extended to- day permitted them to accept their freedom.
 Two SttlI In Prison.
 Two prisoners classified as '.pofie~ icaP' by the Joint Amnesty league, which has led the fight to free these prisoners. still remain in prison. One was originally convicted with the Sacramento group, but while out on bond was arrested in California for violating g criminal syndicalisnn law and is now serving a sentence under this law in CaIifornis. The ochAy was convicted for an isolated case ~ sedition and is confined at Atiant
 The board which recommHndedkf i'm. conditional clemency. for the pfi16lr CTS was composed of Newton D. HS4l ker, former Secretary of War; Bfshop' Brent of Buffalo, and. Mai. Gen, James G. Harbord, retired. MT. Coolidge of the S1 prisoners and suggest . course of action which he should fol- low. The boards recommendation was not unanimous, one member, whose identity was not disclosed. voting against amnesty. s
 President Coolidge by his action brought to an end another chapter of the World war. At the hei int Of the war, the government moved against the Industrial workers of the world which 1t was charged was ob- structing its war program and in the three famous cases at Chicago, Wich- ita, Kans,. and Sacram ento. Cali ob- tained to conviction of 175 defendants. The Charges And Convfctions.
 The convictions were secured on four counts as follows:
 Conspiracy to prevent by force ex- ecution of certain laws enacted in accordance with the war program of the government
 Conspiracy to intimidate and op- press certain employees who had or hoped to get, war contracts with the government.
 Conspiracy by written and spoken service to violate and frustrate the selective service act.
 Conspiracy by written and spoken words to cause insubordination in the military forces.
 Upon appeal to the circuit courts of appeals a large number of the original prisoners were freed and some of the counts were set aside as not having been proved in the cases of others.
 Those Freed.
 The prisoners freed and their sem tenees were: &. Convicted at Chicago esa,
 James Rowan, 20 years; c. J. Bourg, Alexander Cournos, Burt Lorton and James P.s Thompson, 10 years eachs and Harry Lloyd and Charles H. sMc-, hinnon. five years1 each. & Convicted at Whichfta; E.SJ. Gallagher.s eight years and Wenzel FFancik, seven and halfsyears Convicted at ts4sSacramento, CaLssevs Elmore Anderson, Pete De Bsrnard 1 Harry Brewer, Roy ?. Conner, Nor timer Downing, Robert Connelian. | Frank Elliott, John Graves, Henry ] Hammer, William Hood, Chris Buber,. Phillip Mclaughlin, George O'Connell. l John Potthast, Edward gQuigleg. James Sprague J. Tori, c. Tabfbl 1 George Voetter, Harry Gray, and Vin-s i cent Santilli, all 20 years.