DISLOYAL AND DISHONEST.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 September 1918, Page 2

DISLOYAL AND DISHONEST.

TEN TEAES FOE SEDITION. Eev. Theodore Buessel, pastor of the German Lutheran Church at Bristol, Connecticut, found guilty of utterances in the United States Court at Hartford, Connecticut, was recently on each of threo counts, in Atlanta sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, penitentiary, by Judge H. £'. Howe. The terms run concurrently. Before sentence was given, Judge Howe denied a motion to set aside the verdict. The defendant was asked if he cared to say anything before sentence was imposed. In reply, he said he had been under terrible strain, and he had felt that he would be unable to under go a. severe sentence. The" clergyman also said that he had tried to do his duty 'lis a loyal American citizen. Mr Buessel said it had been his ambition to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to be true to his country. "I only ask you to give me another chance," he said. "Send me to France anywhere. I will lay down my life for my country. Take this stain of prison from me." In reply to the defendant's yplea Judge Howe said that the trouble was with the evidence, whieh was convincing while the defendant 's testimony was not true. Buessel, in making his statement, had been interrupted by the Court several times. Once the clergyman had asked to be sent to an asylum. "No," replied the Court, "you are not crazy; you are disloyal and dishonest." In passing sentence the Court said that severe punishment was the only suitable sentence to impose upon a counterfeit citizen*