TEN AMERICAN RED LEADERS GAOLED FOR FIVE YEARS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23083, 22 October 1949, Page 5

TEN AMERICAN RED LEADERS GAOLED FOR FIVE YEARS

CN.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright.)

(11.30 a.m.) * NEW YORK, Oct. 21. Ten Communist leaders today were sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined 10,000 dollars. Another was given three years and fined 10,000 dollars.

The men were convicted on October 14 of teaching and advocating the violent overthrow of the United States Government.

Federal Judge Harold Medina, in sentencing all but one Communist leader to live years gaol, imposed the maximum term laid down by the Smith Act under which they were convicted. A 10.000-dollar fine is also the maximum additional penalty under the act. The Guilty Men Those sentenced to five years were:— Eugene Dennis, aged 44, general secretary of the Communist party. John Williamson, aged 46, labour secreJacob'' Stachel, aged 49, educational Gus Hall, aged 30, Ohio State chairJohn'Gates, aged 36, editor of the Daily Worker. , Henry Winston, a negro, aged 35, organisational secretary. Carl Winter, aged 43, Michigan State chairman. Benjamin J. Davis, junior, a negro, aged 46, a member of the New York City Council and the chairman of company publishing the Daily Worker and other Communist jourGilbert Green, aged 43, Illinois State chairman. , , Irving Potash, aged 46, a national committeeman. ... Robert Thompson, aged 34, New York State chairman, was sentenced to three years’, gaol. ... ~ Judge Medina took into consideration Thompson’s war record. He won the Distinguished Service Cross in New Guinea. , . . , The sentencing was delayed when Judge Medina gave each defendant and his lawyer the opportunity to make statements. “Fascist-Like Trial" Eugene Dennis, general secretary of the Communist Party, said: “The nation will look back on this Fascist-like trial in years to come with shame and anger. We face the future with supreme confidence. We are not guilty of any crime, least of all of the allegation that we conspired to teach and advocate the overthrow of the Government by force and violence.” , Benjamin J. Davis said: You cannot kill our party. I won’t be intimidated, neither will my people nor my party.’ The other defendants said they subscribed to what Dennis and Davis said. Extra police ringed the courthouse from the time the 11 men arrived in handcuffs for sentencing. Besides the full complement of marshals and other Federal agents inside the. skyscraper courthouse. 100 city policemen, 20 mounted police and 24 detectives were on duty ouside. There were no signs of Communistinspired demonstrations except that sympathisers formed a chanting picket line.

Most of the convicted men were grim and unsmiling. A marshal stood behind each of them in the packed tense courtroom. Judge Medina refused to release the men on bail pending an appeal.