Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-02
Cramer Sentenced
To IS Years in Prison
For Aiding Saboteurs
Mechanic, Convicted of
Treason in New York,
Will Appeal Case
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-Anthony
Cramer, AZ, Yorkville mechanic,
convicted of reasonably aiding
two of the eight Nazi saboteurs
landed by submarine in the
United States last June, was
sentenced today to serve As years
lnsprison and fined $4,000.
AFTER sentence was imposed by
Federal Judge Henry w. Goddard,
Defense Counsel Harold Medina said
he would appeal.
AT the trial of Cramer, who was
convicted November 10. the Govern
ment charged he gave laid and COM
Tort to Werner Thiel and Edward
d. kerllng after they landed by sub
marine on the Florida coast, intent
on destroying units of the Nation S
elumlnum industry.
.Cramer was accused of meeting
the two saboteurs in New York. and
OF giving false information to Fed
efal Bureau of Investigation agents
IN an attempt to conceal Thiel's mis-
sion and identity.
Faced Possible Death Penalty.
Both Thiel and Kerling, together
With four of their companions, later
we're put to death after trial BY a
military court in Washington.
ACramer had faced a possible max
imum penalty of death.
Judge Goddard said he would not
impose the death penalty, as recon-
mended by United States ATTORNEY
Matthias Correa. because 1t does not
appear that Cramer was aware that
kerllng and the others were in pos
session of explosives or intended to
destroy factories"
1T appears to me" the court said,
that he had no guilty knowledge Of
the subversive mission of Kerling
and Thiel except that he had a
vague idea that they came here to
agitate and spread German propa-
eanda.
IF there wer any real proof that
they had Conf1ded in him. or that he
knew of their real purpose for COM
ing here, would not hesitate to i'm
pose the death sentence"
In presenting it's case against
him, the Government charged he
met Thiel on June %, less than a
week after the saboteurs landed in
the United States, and had ar
ranged several rendezvous with
them.
One of the Nazi experts in de-
stnIction, Ernest Peter Burger.
whose life was spared by the mill
tary court which condemned six of
his comrades, testified against
Cramer.
Cramer's defense was that he
did not know Thiel was here on a
mission of sabotage.
Cramer's was the third trial in
Federal Court of persons accused
OF treason in aiding one or more
OF the saboteurS Three men were
condemned to death in Chicago
November "a and their wives, who
had been tried with them. were
sentenced to Is years in prison and
fined $4,000 each.
Gardener Freed Monday.
Helmut Lelner, Astoria gardener,
was freed of treason charge Mon
day. when judge in Federal Court
here directed verdict of acquittal
on grounds that the Government. in
presenting its case, failed to pro-
duce at least two witnesses 10 testify
to each overt act charged Leiner
also was accused Of aiding Kerling.
Following his acquittal. he was in
termed for the duration as a dan
gerouS enemy alien.
In the Nations only other con-
v1ction for treason in l43 years
since the so-called whisky rebellion
of 1794-Max Stephan of Detroit
was sentenced to death last August
for sheltering and aiding the fight
of a German aviator who ESCAPED
from a Canadian prison camp.
Mr.. Correa, in asking for the
death penalty, told the court:
All people of his kind should be
made to realize that swift retribu
ton awaits them. A prison term
does not act as a deterrent to per-
sons Of this kind They are pos
seSsed with fanaticism. l suppose
that this is due to their devotion
to the new order or whatever YOU
may call it,
This country is asking millions
nf men to risk their lives and some
to give them This sentence is not
asked as punishment but only as a
stern warning"
Miss Hedwig Engemann. "a.
Brooklyn waitress who pleaded
guilty three weeks ago to a charge
of miSprision Of treason. was SEN
fenced to three years imprisonment
by Federal Judge Alfred c. Coke.
Mr.. Correa, in asking for a five
year sentence, told the court that
Miss Engemann's concealment of
Leiner's activities, as we'll as con-
cealment of the knowledge that her
former sweetheart. Kerling. had ar
rived in this country in Nazi sub
"menaced our national Sc
curity.'