Evening star., 1944-04-21
Sedition
Continued From First Page.)

FBI agent on Wednesday that the
defendant had admitted he left
New York City with intent to stay
away from the trial.
TITS a lie," shouted Smythe.
Smythe said that during the train
trip from Albany to New York City
|en route to Warrington, one of his
|captors said the reason they had
gone after him at this time, after
nothing had been done about pre-
|yious indictment. was. Things are
different, d presidential campaigr
Is on. and the heat Is On In Wash
ington.n
The defendant quoted one FBl
man as saying I'VE never did
think anything would come Of this
case"
Seven Veniremen Excused.
Interrogation of venire members
dragged through the afternoon ses-
sion yesterday. with seven excused
for expressed prejudice and others
seated in the jury box still to be
lquestioneA by Chief Justice Eiche1
from an approved list of queries
ranging from religious and political
Affiliations to pre-Pearl Harbol
views on the war.
Indications were that several days
Iat least, would be required to select
the jury.
Portions Of jury panels from va.
rious criminal courts totaling more
than SO were brought in, and thu
long process of questioning began
Justice Eicher asked all the ques.
tions, although he adopted q largt
number submitted by attorneys or
both sides.
Several jurors were challenged fol-
cause and excused when they saie
that reading such books as ''Undel
Cover" had prejudiced them. Other,
were allowed to leave the case wher
they said that if the evidence should
disclose that some of the defendant.
were members Of the German.
American Bund or other fraterna
organizations of which persons ol
lGerman extraction were members
they would feel a prejudice which
| 1t would require considerable evi.
dence to remove.
Defense Has IL Challenges.
Twelve tentative jurors, however
said they would not be influenced /,
the testimony should reveal that ont
defendant, George Sylvester Viereck
in travels over Europe after the las
war, had interviewed the former
Kaiser, Hitler and other officials o.
the new order in Germany.
After jurors have passed prelimi.
nary tests-12 of them are subject u
peremptory .challenge-may be ex.
cused without cause by the defense
and six by the Government. Tht
defense will be allowed to excuse tive
Others in the selection of two alter.
mate jurors and the prosecution one
Ten representatives Of the pres
were present as the afternoon ses
sion began. Some IL others waitee
in the corridor outside, although
the newspaper people had beer
lgiven to understand that all of then
would be admitted during selection
of a jury. Justice Eicher's an
nouncement from the bench yes
terday that it would be necessar
to limit the number of reporter
during this particular stage of tn
trial, owing 4 to space stringency
brought vigorous protests from de
fense attorneys.
Chosen at Random.
Il Justice Eicher said he wanted tn
record to show approximately /
i newspapers were represented. Thei
Representatives, he explained, wer
chosen at random as they waite
in the corridors"
| Several defense attorneys were OF
their feet, Which newspapers ar
represented? May we have a list? !?
You may not" the court held.
Bailiffs discovered part of va
lcant bench, and nine representative
Iof the general public were admitted
!, These included two soldiers.
| AS the afternoon session wore O,
Iother newspaper people waiting Il
: the corridor gradually were allowe,
TO filter in, occupying various vacan
hooks, and before adjournment mos
iof the press was. present.