Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-08-09
Clash
Over Evidence
In Sedition Trial
Prosecutor Accuses
Defense Counsel of
Homperine Case
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

AHSssu9 SoSS
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
In fiery exchange between coun-
sci at the sedition trial in District
Court today, Claude Thompson, a
defense attorney, declared he was
mot going to allow the prosecutor
to railroad any defendant to Jail by
squelching the defense"
Chief Prosecutor o. John Rogge
took violent exception to the re-
mark, charging Mr.. Thompson with
interrupting him so he could not
clearly read Government exhibits
to the jury.
He pointed out that defense coun.
sci had been given ample oppor-
tunity to object before the court
admitted in evidence more than 200
documents seized by the FBI at the
Npblesyille qnd) publishing plant
OF William Dudley Pelley, Defend
ant.
Objection Overruled.
Chief Justice Edward c. Eicher
overruled Mr.. Thompson's objec-
tons to the exhibits and the way in
which they were presented to the
jury. The Government had read
parts OF the exhibits aloud and had
passed others around the Jury box.
Later Mr.. Thompson protested that
the Government by this method lis
messing up the record so that no
one IN the world will be able to tell
what Is going on in this court
room"
The attorney said it was "the
most diabolical thing" he ever heard
of.
There was another furry when
several defense attorneys charged
the Government with a prejudicial
attack on the Catholic Church. This
occurred when Prosecutor Rogge
read a letter purportedly from Eu-
gene N. Sanctuary, a defendant, to
Policy telling of IDEAL" to deliver
the Catholic vote to President
Roosevelt.
Dilling Accuses Royce.
"As Catholic" said Pelley's at
torney, Il resent this attempt to
smear the Catholic Church"
Albert w. Dilling, attorney for
Elizabeth billing, accused Mr.. Rogge
OF trying to prejudice seven mem,
bers Of the jury known to be Cath
olics.
Another defense attorney, Maxi
milan st. George, said he also was
a Catholic and considered the ex-
hibit highly improper" All these
objections were overruled.
Ellis 0. Jones, defendant repre-.
senting himself, whose correspond
ence with the Pelley publishing
concern was brought out, said he
wanted the record to show he did
not object to the exhibits, which
prove what flinsy case the prose-
cution has"
Kept in Touch with Nazis.
The exhibits included correspond
enc showing cordial relations be-
tween the Pelley organization and
Nazi propaganda outlets in Berlin
and Hungary at the outbreak of the
European war and later.
In one letter among the Govern
ment exhibits admitted in evidence.
dated May 81, 1899, A. H. E. Talpey
of the Pelley Publishers, wrote Fred
erick Kleinschmidt, Hamburg, Ger
many:
Regarding the> present political
situation. we feel that you can do
no better than follow Liberation IA
Pelley magazine) closely. 1t will
present vital facts not ordinarily
published in the controlled press
especially as it relates to the Jewish
question
Talpey added: II think thai Mr..
Pelley would probably appreciate
anything that you might care to
write about local conditions, espe-
cially as We feel that much of the
news about Germany appearing in
our daily newspapers is very highly
colored with propaganda and that
the general attitude of the German
people toward America is friendly
and peaceful"
German Sought Paper.
Another letter showed an applica-
ton from DR.. K. o. Bertling of the
Amerika Institute, to be placed on
the Policy mailing list.
Other letters which Mr.. Rogge
read to the jury showed a number of
other defendants interested in the
publications put out by Pelly, former
leader of the Silver Shirts. These
included Hans Diebel, proprietor Of
the Aryan Bookstore, German
American Bund outlet in Los
Angeles; Mr.. Jones of the National
Copperheads and the Friends of
Progress, Los Angeles; Col. Sanctu-
airy, New York: Garland L. Alder
man, secretary of the National
Workers League, Detroit; George
E. Deatherage, commander of the
Knights of the White Camellia, and
w. r. Lyman, jr., of the National
Workers League.
Another item in the communica-
lions was letter from the defendant
Edward James Smythe, as chairman
of the Protestant War Veterans. to
the editor of the Roll Call, Policy
magazine, inquiring:
Would 1t be too much to ask YOU
to insert an item in your paper
stating that petitions to impeach
Roosevelt can be had by writing to
this organizations"
ADA Al =.