United States v. Krafft

249 F. 919, 1918 U.S. App. LEXIS 2309
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedApril 23, 1918
DocketNo. 2323
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 249 F. 919 (United States v. Krafft) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Krafft, 249 F. 919, 1918 U.S. App. LEXIS 2309 (3d Cir. 1918).

Opinion

BUFFINGTON, Circuit Judge.

In the court below Frederick Krafft was charged with the violation of section 3 of the Act of June 15, 1917, which provides:

“Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause Insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, * « * shall be punished by a line of not more than $10,000, or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both.”

The indictment contained four counts, the first of which charged defendant with “knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully attempting to cause insubordination in the military and naval forces of the United States, in that he, the said Frederick Krafft, did then and there speak to Martin T. Gunning, corporal in Company K, First New Jersey Infantry, who had been duly mustered into the military service of the United States, and Albert Barton, corporal in the First New Jersey Infantry, who had been duly mustered into the military service of the United States, and divers other persons who were members of the military forces of the United States, and did then and there say: T can’t see how the government can compel troops to go to France.’ Tf it was up to me, I’d tell them to go to hell.’ fit’s a damn shame.’ T can’t see why the Socialists here have not the same rights as in Germany.’ ‘They send their own Senator^ down to Washington, and they will not let the people do it’ — and divers other words and sentences which are to the grand jury unknown.” The count concluded with the averment that this was done “with the intent of him, the said Frederick Krafft, to influence, persuade, and cause the said persons, who were members of the military forces of the United States, to become insubordinate, contrary to the form of the statute,” etc. The second count averred Krafft had used the same words and in like hearing with intent “to influence, persuade, and cause the said persons, who were members of the .military forces of the United States, to become disloyal to the. United States,” etc.; the third count charged him with intent “to influence, persuade, and cause the same the said persons, who were members of the military forces of the United States, to mutiny, to the injury of the military service of the United States”; and the fourth count with intent “to influence, persuade, and cause the said persons, who were members of the military forces of the United States, to refuse to do the duties imposed on them as such members of the military forces of the United States, to'the injury1 of the United States,” etc.

To this indictment the defendant pleaded not guilty. The jury heard the proofs, which consisted of five witnesses, all of whom were enlisted men, and who were present on the occasion when Krafft is al[921]*921leged to have used the words charged, and who were called on behalf of the government, and also the testimony of the defendant and twelve other witnesses, whose testimony was to the effect that Krafft had not used the language specified in the indictment.

[1] At the conclusion of the testimony the defendant, who was represented by able counsel, asked the court to direct a verdict of acquittal on the ground, inter alia:

That “the facts or statements charged in Ihe indictment do not show any intent to canse the thing charged; that is, insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal oí duty. That, while they may produce certain results, there 1b nothing in the words themselves that tends to produce that result, to the extent of charging intent, which is a necessary element in the charge. That there is no proof in this case that the defendant made these statements with the intent to do the tilings charged in the four counts of the indictment: that is, with intent to cause insubordination in the army, or with intent to cause disloyalty in Ihe army, or with intent to cause mutiny in the army, or wilh intent to cause refusal of duty in the army. And I submit that, without intent being established by the affirmative case of the government, no conviction can lie.”

As further ground to support such request for binding instructions of acquittal, the defendant contended;

“That the evidence cannot be complete until it is shown that these things are to (he injury of the service of the United States, * * and that there is no evidence showing that such injury has occurred to the service of the United States. Assuming that the words were said, there is no evidence that the words had any more effect than to cause a. disturbance in the crowd.” '

This request the court denied, saying;

“As I view it, there are really two questions, both of which are jury questions. The first question is whether or not the defendant spoke the words •which are alleged in the indictment and which he is charged with speaking, t £ ho did not, that ends the case. The jury will determine whether he did that or not. Second, if he did, what was ihe intent in his own mind in speaking them? What effect did he intend that they should have upon those who listened, who were already in the service, or might possibly be called into flic service; and it seems to me that, under the circumstances, that should be determined by the jury. Therefore, your motion will be denied, and an exception granted.”

This holding, viz. that there were two questions of fact involved, first, were the words charged spoken? and, secondly, if spoken, what was Krafft’s intention in speaking them? what effect did Krafft intend they should have on those hearing them? were afterwards embodied in the charge which is printed in full on the margin.1

[922]*922In thus confining the jury to the two issues specified above, the court in effect denied the1 contention of defendant’s counsel that, to constitute the crime, the government was required to go further, arid show, not only that the words were used with the intent to effect insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, but that they ac[923]*923tually did produce that effect, and injured the United States service. Did the court commit error in so holding? Was it necessary for the government, not only to show the defendant used the words, not only that he used them with intent to cause insubordination, but that his counsel and purpose actually caused mutiny, insubordination, disloy[924]*924alty, or refusal to obey orders ? We cannot accept this view. Indeed, the clear statement of the defendant’s proposition is its, best refutation, for if that position be sound the defendant’s guilt would be determined, not by what he did in the way of counseling disloyalty, but in what his hearers did in the way of following- his directions. In other words, the defendant could do all in his power to bring about disloyalty, but as long as he did not succeed he committed no crime; but, if his counsel induced action, and that action resulted in insubordination or mutiny, then what the defendant did by way of counsel was later made a crime by the person who followed his counsel. Manifestly, Congress had no such purpose in view, nor can the simple and plain words of the act be given such meaning.

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Bluebook (online)
249 F. 919, 1918 U.S. App. LEXIS 2309, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-krafft-ca3-1918.