Evening star., 1951-09-21
ChristoffeI Supplies
New Bond as Court
Revokes Previous Bail

The United States Court of APP
peals yesterday afternoon revoked
the $4,000 bond posted by the
Civil Rights Congress for Harold
r. Christoffel, pending his appeal
from a perjury conviction. He had
been found guilty of lying to the
House Labor Committee in 1947 |
by telling it he never had Com
munist affiliations.
New bond was posted immedi- 4
ately by Christoffel himself, after
the court ruled he could make bail 4
from another source other than
the Civil Rights Congress. Chris
toffel posted the new $4,000 bail
in the form of Treasury coupon
bonds, which are payable to bearer
A former Milwaukee labor lead
er, Christoffel was convicted in
District Court in February, 1850
and sentenced the following month
to serve from to 6 years.
Source May Be Probed.
Neither Christoffel nor his at
torney, David Rein, told the court
who put up the securities yester-
day. However, Mr.. Rein told re-
porter they came from relatives
and friends" John S. Pratt, special
assistant attorney general, said he
would ask the FBI to investigate
the source of the new bond
An opinion on the bail question
was written by Chief Judge Har-
old M. Stephens with Judge Da-
vid L. Bazelon concurring.
Judge Bennett Champ Clark
agreed to revocation of the Civil
Rights Congress bail, but dissent
ed as to the opinion which per-
mitted substitute bail Judge
Clark ccntended that Christoffel
should be refused all bail.
Disagrees on Jurisdiction.
Judge Clark also disagreed with
his colleagues, who held that Dis
trict Court Judge Burnita Sheltol
Matthews lacked jurisdiction to
revoke the bail which had beeE
put up in April. 1850, as result
Of an earlier order by the Court
Of Appeals.
The Court of Appeals opinion
declared:
The court decides, without divi-
sion, that the Civil Rights Con-
greSS is not a satisfactory surety
and not satisfactory source of
bail, whether in cash or United
States Treasury bonds or notes -"
The Court of Appeals, however.
refused to revoke or modify its
order of April, 1850, permitting
Christoffel to have bond. If new
bail. satisfactorily complying with
either of the alternatives provided
In the order of April s, 1850, is fur
niShed, Christoffel may remain at
large. otherwise he must surrender
:" the opinion said.
Refuse to Deny Bail.
The $4,000 bail, under which
ChriStoffel had been free until yes
terday. was turned over to the
court in 1850 by Milton Wolff. who
has been identified as assistant
treasurer of the Civil Rights Con-
gress bail fund.
The Court of Appeals in its
opinion declared the "even if it is
assumed that Christoffel is Com 4
munist and is actively engaged in
Communist Party affairs this
without more. is not a proper
grounds for denial of bail. The
decision of this court must be
without respect to persons, and
without respect to political affilia-
tions or activities of a party except |
as the same are shown to be rele-
want and material to an issue be-
fore the court.
%. :. The present primary issue
Is whether Christoffel will. under
the conditions of bail defined il
the order of April 6, 1850, make
appearance before the court when
required to do so. Only if it were
shown that his associations and
activities as a Communist, if he is
a Communist, are now such as to
lessen the dependability of his
appearance before this court when
ordered, could the court properly
consider such affiliations and ac-
tivities in determining whether or
not to revoke or modify its bail
order"