Evening star., 1950-02-21
Voge|erGiiven
15-Year Term;;
TwoGet Death
Briton Sentenced to
13 Years; Prosecution
And Defense Appeal
ky the Assoeiotad Prssi

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Feb. 81.
Robert A. Vogeler, American
businessman, was sentenced by a
Hungarian court today to Is years
in prison on spy charges. Two
Hungarian co-defendants were
sentenced to death.
The defense Immediately an
nounced appeals to a higher court
and the prosecution hammered
back with a statement that it, too,
would appeal and demand heavier
penalties for the five defendants
who escaped the death sentence.
The death sentence was meted
out to Imre Geiger, manager of
the international Telephone and
Telegraph Co.'S Budapest branch
and Zolton Rado, former depart
ment chief in Hungary's Ministry
of Heavy Industry.
sanders Gets IL Years.
Edgar Sanders. Mr.. Vogeler's
British aide in the I. T. g. T.
branch. Standard Electric Co., was
sentenced to 13 years.
The same prosecution announced
an appeal when Josef Cardinal
Mindszenty was sentenced to life
imprisonment for plotting against
the State. The cardinal also ap-
pealed. but the original sentences
in the case were unchanged by the
higher court.
The other defendants, all Hun
garians, received these sentences:
Kelemen Domokos, accountant
In the Standard Co., 10 years.
Edna Doery, a barmaid, S years.
The court then ordered that
Mr.. Vogeler and Mr.. Sanders be
expelled from this country when
they finish their sentences; for
hidden to return forever more" :"
Their personal assets in Hungary
Will be conf1scated. Mr.. Vogeler,
38, assistant vice president of
I. T. & T., had been his company's
representative here.
Confessions Considered.
The court said that in handing
down the sentences it had taken
into consideration that most of
the defendants had not been con-
vlcted OF crimes before, that most
were married. that they made
sincere confessions" and that, in
the cases OF Mr.. Vogeler and Mr..
Sanders. they acknowledged not
having ANY grudge" against Hun
gary. The judge said Mr.. Vogeler
and Mr.. Sanders had been ordered
by their military superiors ito
carry out their activities in this
country"
The defendants stood quietly
with folded hands and expression
less faces as Judge Vilmos Olthy
announced the sentences. They
sat down while he addressed the
court in what is called in Hungary
the traditional legal reasoning :"
The American and Briton listened
at a microphone on small table
to a translation of the address.
Questioned by Judge.
After the defense attorneys an
nounced they would appeal, Judge
Olthy called Mr.. Vogeler and Mr..
Sanders to microphone and
asked, through an interpreter:
Did you understand the court
through the interpreter"
Each replied: II did"
Your attorney appealed" the
Judge said. do you wish to Join
him?"
Each said: Yes, I do"
The judge accepted the appeal
OF the defense and of the prose-
cutor, and ordered both sides to
SuoiIllI prleIS IN eight days. The
court will be in position then to
forward the briefs to a higher
court, he said.
The defendants then left the
court under guard. AS they de-
parted. Mr.. Vogeler and Mr.. San
ders threw quick glances about
the room.
Made Object Statements.
Mr., Vogeler and the other six
defendants had confessed to
charges of ferreting out Hun
garian economic and industrial
secrets on instructions of the
American intelligence service, of
sabotaging the productive capacity
OF the Standard firm to harm
Hungarian economy, and of sabo-
tagging deliveries to the Soviet
Union and East European Com
munist countries.
Mr.. Vogeler, Mr.. Sanders and
(see vOGELER, Page A-53