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Show m OBJECTOR IT HP LEWS G1VEN25 YEARS W. Henry Edwards, Recently Re-cently of Salt Lake, Sentenced Sen-tenced to Alcatraz by Court Martial. EVASION PENALTY PRECEDENT FIXED Man Refuses Summons to Examination and Defies Board and Officials in Verbose Letters. Twenty-five years at hard labor on Alcatraz Al-catraz island, San Francisco, dishonorable dishonor-able discharge from the array and forfeiture for-feiture of all pay and allowances constitute consti-tute the penalty imposed by a general court martial at Camp Lewis, Wash., upon W. Henry Edwards, a "conscientious "conscien-tious objector," who formerly resided at 55S Gale street, Salt Lake. This is the information received here last night from Camp Lewis and the action ac-tion of the court martial sets a notable precedent in the matter of punishment for able-bodied men who seek to evade military service in times of their country's coun-try's need. Edwards, who is 23 years old and a Ja-borer, Ja-borer, came into notice here some months ago by seeking to resist the draft. In filling out his questionnaire he objected to military service on "psychological and biological" grounds, refused to respond to a call for examination, wrote lettersvto the draft board villifylng the members of the board and defying them to compel com-pel him to do military service. When he was notified to appear for examination he refused to respond, sending the board a letter that he would be at home on the day set for his examination and "if they wanted him they would find him there." Board Is Defied. The board wanted him and officers of the government found him at home, defiant de-fiant and determined. But before night he was in the guard house at Fort Douglas Doug-las and a little later he was on his way to Camp Lewis for trial. At Camp Lewis. Edwards was directed by LieutcrAint William V. Clark to sign an enlistment blank and assignment card. Ho refused to do so and was charged with refusing to obey the order of an officer. On this specific charge he was tried by the military' court, found guilty and sentenced. When Edwards was taken before the general court martial at Camp Lewis he objected to the court and when a-sked for the grounds of his objections he replied re-plied that the members were "obnoxious "obnox-ious to him on psychological and biological biologi-cal grounds." The accused man told the court ho was one of the charter members of the rolymathic society, an organization which he said was formed in Salt Lake in 191G. Ho said he and two other men, who founded the society, were the only ones admitted to membership in it. This society, it is said, is opposed to war in any form and its members are "conscientiously" "con-scientiously" opposed to military service as being antagonistic to their principles and beliefs. Objects to Service. Edwards first came into public notice in Salt Lake when his questionnaire was filled out and returned to local board No. 2. In this document he. set forth that he was "conscientiously" opposed op-posed to military service on "psychological "psychologi-cal and biological" grounds. He stated also bo was one of the founders of a society, the principles of which did not admit the righteousness of war or the justice of military service. He also indited in-dited a long letter in which ho ox-pounded ox-pounded in many large, misspelled and misused words his "conscientious objections" objec-tions" to military servi. The board failed to firli any legitimate reasons for conscientious objections on his I'art and placed him in class 1 for call to service. Edwards appealed to the district dis-trict hoard and indited a letter to that organization reiterating his objections in a voluminous and disconnected effort. The district board upheld the local board in its decision that it would be illogical il-logical to excuse Edwards from military service on psychological, biological or any other "ogical" grounds. After the uis-(Coutinued uis-(Coutinued on Page Four.) UTAH OBJECTOR IS JIEfU YEARS (Continued from Page One.) trict board had taken action the local , hoard summoned Edwards to appear for examination and for duty. When Edwards received this notice, early in June, he wrote a long letter, addressed ad-dressed to the members of the board, denying de-nying the right of that body or any other to compel him to do military service or to require him to appear before it for examination. Arrested June 20. He again mentioned his "psychological and biological" reasons for not being willing to serve his country, and declared if the members of the board "had any common sense" they would know they had no right to demand that he enter the service. He intimated the hoard was a bunch of "numbskulls th:t didn't think and couldn't think and didn't know how to divine the reasonings of a conscientious conscien-tious objector." In conclusion, Edwards, in defiant lan. guage, referred to the notice of the board for him to appear for examination, "you have ordered me to appear before you on that date," he wrote, "but I will not he there. On that date I will he at mv new address. No. sr. Gale streot. If you want me you can find me there " On the date set. Edwards, true to his boast, tailed to appear, but the board immediately set the wheels of justice in motion and he was soon In custody It was June 50 that he was arrested ' and taken to Fort Douglas, where he was given into the custody of the commanding command-ing officer of the Twentieth infantry for tK as a deserter under the draft' he having failed to respond to a cnli for service. As the Twentieth was about lo leiue and there would be no general court martial to adjudno the case, Edwards was at onco sent to Camp Lewis. There he waa given another opportunity to serve, but rut used. |