Conspiracy Trials in America, 1919-1953

Scope

Materials from 23 conspiracy trials in the United States as assembled by the Fund for the Republic:

Pt. 1 – Abrams vs. U.S.- “The record in the Supreme Court of the trial of five Russian nationals convicted of violating Title I, Sections 3 and 4 of the Espionage Act of May 16, 1918…”

Pt. 2 – People vs. Ferguson  – “The record of the trial of Issac E. Ferguson and Charles E. Ruthenberg for criminal anarchy, arising out of their membership in the National Council of the Left Wing of the Socialist Party…”

Pt. 3 – People vs. Lloyd  – “The record of the trial in which eighteen of the founders of the Communist Labor Party were convicted of conspiracy to commit sedition…”

Pt. 4 – People vs. Ruthenberg  – “The transcript in the United States Supreme Court of the trial in which Charles E. Ruthenberg was convicted of criminal syndicalism under the laws of Michigan…Ruthenberg died while his appeal to the Supreme Court was still pending.”

Pt. 5 – Gitlow vs. New York  – “The record in the United States Supreme Court on the basis of which the conviction of Benjamin Gitlow for advocating the overthrow of organized government by force or violence or unlawful means was affirmed by a seven to two decisions.”

Pt. 6 – Whitney vs. California  – “The record of the trial in which Charlotte Anita Whitney was convicted of criminal syndicalism for her activities in connection with the organization of the Communist Labor Party of California.”

Pt. 7 – People vs. Mintz  – “The record of the trial of Yetta Stromberg for violation of the California “red flag” statute.”

Pt. 8 – People vs. Horiuchi –  “Record of the trial of Horiuchi and six other defendants for criminal syndicalism.”

Pt. 9 – State vs. Boloff – pt. 9 – “The record of the trial which resulted in the conviction, affirmed by the Oregon Supreme Court, of a member of the Communist Party for violating the Oregon criminal syndicalism statute by being a member of and assembling with the Communist party.”

Pt. 10 – Kessler vs. Strecker  – “Opinions of the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court; transcripts of administrative proceedings as incorporated in the transcript in the Supreme Court.”

Pt. 11 – Gorin vs. U.S.  – “Record of the trial of Mikhail N. Gorin and Hafis Salich for espionage…Convictions were affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.”

Pt. 12 – Schneiderman vs. U.S.  – “The record of the trial in the denaturalization proceedings against William Schneiderman in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.”

Pt. 13 – Dunne vs. U.S.  – “The record of the trial in which eighteen leaders of the Socialist Workers Party (Trotskyites) were convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the Government of the United States by force and violence. Briefs and opinion of the Court of Appeals.”

Pt. 14 – Bridges vs. Wixon  – “The record in the United States Supreme Court of the deportation proceedings instituted in 1941 against Harry R. Bridges. Papers include briefs in the United States Supreme Court.”

Pt. 15 – U.S. vs. Nicholai Gregorovich Redin  – “The record in the trial … of a Soviet attaché stationed in Seattle for alleged espionage in 1945 and 1946 …”

Pt. 16 – Marzani vs. U.S.  – “The record of the trial of Carl Aldo Marzani convicted on two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. sect. 80 (1946) … by denying in connection with an inquiry into his loyalty by the Department of State, where he was employed, that he had ever been a member of the Communist Party or had ever used the name “Tony Whales”.”

Pt. 17 – U.S. vs. Hiss  – “The Alger Hiss case: basic documents. Pt. 1. House Un-American Activities Committee.–Pt. 2, reel 1. Baltimore depositions, Nov. 1948, Feb. and March 1949; reels 2-3. First trial, May to July 1949.–Pt. 3, reels 1-2. Second trial, Nov. 1949 to Jan. 1950; reel 3. Second trial (cont.) and appeals.”

Pt. 18 – Brownell vs. Communist Party  – “The record of proceedings which resulted in an order by the Subversive Activities Control Board that the Communist Party register as a Communist-action organization under the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950.”

Pt. 19 – Coplon vs. U.S.  – “The record of the trial of Judith Coplon for espionage.  Miss Coplon was convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. 793 (Supp. 1952) and 18 U.S.C. 2071 (Supp. 1952) by unlawfully removing documents from the Department of Justice where she was employed.”

Pt. 20 – Dennis vs. U.S.  – “The record of the trial in which eleven members of the National Board of the Communist Party were convicted of conspiring to teach and advocate violent overthrow of the Government of the United States.”

Pt. 21 – U.S. vs. Fujimoto  – “The record of the trial of Charles K. Fujimoto and six other defendants for conspiracy to teach and advocate violent overthrow of the Government in violation of the Smith Act. Defendants were convicted after a trial in Honolulu in 1952 and 1953. Appeals were pending when the record, over 15,000 pages long, was microfilmed.”

Pt. 22 – U.S. vs. Rosenberg  – “The record of the trial in which Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Morton Sobel were convicted for conspiracy to commit espionage. The record in proceedings after conviction in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Briefs in the Court of Appeals.”

Pt. 23 – Orloff vs. Willoughby – “The record of the proceedings in which Dr. Stanley J. Orloff sought his release from the Army into which he had been drafted under the “Doctors Draft Law.”  Dr. Orloff, for security reasons, had been made a private rather than commissioned like other doctors and he had not been granted the same freedom as other doctors in his medical assignments.”

Materials include trial records, transcripts, and exhibits and appellate briefs and opinions.