GERMAN LEADER IN U.S FINED

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22769, 22 July 1939, Page 15

GERMAN LEADER IN U.S FINED

CHARGES OF PROFANITY / AND DRUNKENNESS (Received July 21, 11.30 p.m.) WEBSTER (Massachusetts), July 20. Fritz Kuhn, the German-Ameri-can Bund leader, pleaded guilty to charges of drunkenness and profanity, and was fined five dollars. He then told the press that he had been neither drunk nor profane, and that the plea of guilty had been entered in order to avoid a courtroom “theatrical performance.” Upon leaving the courtroom Kuhn extended his hand to a police officer, saying: “No hard feelings, I hope.” The officer, who is a former prizefighter, replied: “It was a good thing I wSs in uniform when you said what you did, or your own mother would not have recognised you.” Kuhn was arrested here on July 16 when a policeman halted him and Count .Anastase von Siatsky, leader of the White Russians in America, as the pair left a cafe and started to enter the Count’s car. The policeman insisted that the Count was too drunk to drive, and took both to the station, where they agreed that Kuhn should drive. After starting the motor Kuhn leaned out of the window and cursed the policeman, whc\ promptly pulled him out and arrested him on charges of drunkenness and profanity.