Evening star., 1950-06-07
BarskyGroup
Begins Terms
For Contempt
Howard Fost Among
II Denied Further
Delay in 1916 Case
By Robert K. Walsh

Or. Edward K. Barsky and II
others, including the novelist
Howard Fast. all associated with
the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee
Committee today started serving
prison sentences for contempt OF
Congress.
When the eight men and three
women appeared before District
Court Judge Richmond B. Keech
their attorneys asked that they
be given suspended sentences OF
put on probation.
Judge Keech denied those mo-
tions and also several other pleas
for an additional delay Of several
days in committal of some de-
PENDANTS.
ITO maintain the confidence OF
the public" Judge Keech said,
I'VE must do away with unneces-
sary delay"
He noted that the II persons
were convicted in District Court
here more than three years ago
on charges of contempt Of Con-
gress for refusing to give records
of their organization to the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities.
To Be Held in District Jail.
The prisoners were taken to
cell blocks in the basement of
District Court Building and were
to be removed later today to the
District Jail. DR.. Barsky's SEN
tence is for six months and a
$500 fine. The others, sentenced
to three months and fined $500
each were:
Howard Fast. DR.. Jacob Aus
lander, DR.. Louis Miller. Lyman r.
Bradley. Mrs. Marjorie Chodorov,
Harry M. Justiz, Mrs. Ruth Leider,
James Lustig, Mrs. Charlotte
Stern and Manuel Magma.
About 40 men and women carry
ing placards saying they repre-
sented the Abraham Lincoln Bri-
gade of Spanish civil war veter-
ans picketed the White House
from 1890 to / pm. Leaders said
the demonstration was arranged
as q plea for President Truman
to commute sentences of the
Barsky group.
The placards also called for
freeing" the 10 Hollywood writer's,
directors and producers charged
with contempt of Congress.
Meanwhile, in another court
room nearby, Judge Edward Cur
ran continued until June 10 ar
guments on a petition to prevent
agents of a Congressional COM
mittee from getting the names of
purchasers of books published by
the Committee for Constitutional
Government.
New Contempt Case Considered.
Edward A. Rumely, executive
secretary of that organization,
figured in stormy session of the
House Lobby Investigating Com
mittee yesterday. The committee
announced later that it would con-
slider contempt of Congress ci-
tation against him.
Mr.. Rumely, meanwhile. had his
District Court petition for a pre-
liminary injunction on file. That
petition technically is directed
against agents of the House COM
mittee rather than the committee
itself.
At the request of House COM
mittee attorneys today, Judge
Curran continued the hearing.
This was agreed to by Mr.. Rune
ly's attorneys. Daniel B. Maher,
Neil Burkinshaw and Dennis Col
Inns.
Rogge Loses Plea.
At the hearing before Judge
keech. Attorney o. John Rogge,
representing DR.. Barsky and the
other 10 unsuccesssfully urged
that the sentences be reduced if
the court did not see fit to suspend
them. He also made a special plea
for Mrs. Leider. Her daughter, he
said, graduates from high school
in New York next Friday and is
class valedictorian.
Judge Keech also refused to be
swayed by Mr.. Rogge's argument
that the matter should be held UP
until final disposal of the cases OF
Miss Helen r. Bryan, Refugee
Committee secretary, and Mrs
Ernestina Fleischman, a board
member.
The two women were convicted
in separate trials in District
Court. The United States Court
Of Appeals reversed those con-
victions. but the Supreme Court
several weeks ago remanded those
cases to the Court of Appeals for
possible consideration of several
technical points. The effect OF
the decision, it was explained at
the time. was to uphold the jail
sentences imposed on the two
women.