Evening star., 1944-06-04
|GissibI Will Resume
Testimony on Nazi
Activity Tomorrow
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

ss0"
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
When the sedition trial is re-
sumed in District Court at 10 am,
tomorrow, Government testimony is
expected to place more Of the 29
defendants within the net of con-
spiracy which Nazi leaders were
said to have woven about race
batting. dissension-sowing groups
and individuals in the United States.
The prosecution, its way cleared
after nearly two months of pre-
liminary skirmishing, is reaching
important phases of its evidence,
and before the week end adjourn
ment Friday Peter Gissibl, former
Chicago leader of the German
American Bund, had told the jury
how the organization, under con-
troll of Hitler's Reich propagan-
dists, had used the personal con-
facts or writings of at least five
defendants who were neither Bun
dists nor Germans. Gissibn will
continue his story tomorrow.
Meanwhile, 1t appeared yesterday
that the trial would not be inter-
rupted by the Baltimore indictment
of James j. Laughlin, a defense
attorney.
Laughlin Posts sl,500 Bond.
Laughlin, charged with attempt
ing to obstruct justice in defending
man implicated in the $4,000
Hyattsville bank messenger holdup
in 1941, appeared voluntarily before
United States Commissioner Need
ham c. Turnage yesterday and
posted the $500 bond set by the
official. The accused attorney also
waived a removal hearing and
agreed to appear in Federal Court
in Baltimore whenever he was
wanted.
1t was indicated that the Balti-
more trial would be deferred until
the sedition trial is over.
Laughlin, pleading innocent be-
fore the commissioner, denounced
the prosecution, contending that no
indictment would have been re-
turned if he had been allowed to go
before the grand jury.
Chief Prosecutor o. John Rogge
and Special Prosecutor Joseph w.
Burns, Of the Justice Department,
made plans yesterday to push their
case as fast as the unwieldy ma
chinery of a mass trial will permit.
Turns to Nom Bundists.
Gissibl, taking up his narrative Of
Bund activities after being stynied
for several days while the Govern
ment fought to introduce exhibits
he identified, detailed some of the
activities of two defendants who
were leading Bundists. Gerhard
Wilhelm KunZe, national leader in
the late 1930's, and Herman Max
Schwinn, West Coast leader. The
witness then turned to non -Bundists
among the defendants.
He said Lois de Lafayette WASH
burn visited Chicago headquarters
twice while he was unit leader, both
times to arrange speeches which she
made at Bund meetings. He said
her compensation for this help con-
sisted of several thousand envelopes
and letterheads for her organization,
the American Gentle League, which
he had his printer turn out.
The Bund bookstore sold the writ
ings and publications of three other
defendants, Elizabeth Dilling, au-
thor of ''The Red Network; Rob-
ert E. Edmondson, head of Edmond
son Economic Research Reports,
and Gerald B. Winrod, publisher OF
the Defender, he said. Gissibl testi-
fied that there was aasort of ex-
change agreement with the defend
ant William Dudley Pelley. chief OF
the Silver Shirts, under which mem
bers of the two organizations at
tended each others meetings.
Jones Fights Contempt Fine.
Ellis o. Jones, defendant act
ing. as his own counsel, filed notice
Of appeal yesterday from a 500 fine
for contempt of court which Justice
Eicher imposed because Jones kept
arguing after he was ordered to 81,
down.
Justice Eicher also reduced tc
writing an oNl contempt fine o1
500 meted out to Claude E. Thomp-
son, attorney for Schwinn and Hans
Diebel. Under the order Mr.
Thompson was required to pay the
fine by tomorrow or have further
judgment" pronounced by the court
at the close of the trial.
Mr.. Thompson was fined for re-
senting the assertion of Prosecutor
Burns that defense counsel hao
made "a false statement"