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The Washington Post.

WASHINGTON: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1925

COL. WILLIAM MITCHELL FOUND GUILTY, IS SUSPENDED FROM ARMY FOR 5 YEARS

FLIER LOSES PAY AND ALLOWANCES BY COURT'S RULING 

Verdict Expected, Put Sentence, Received as Surprise, to Be Passed on by Coolidge Before Becoming Effective.

OFFICER LISTENS TO DECISION WITH SMILE; "CASE IS NOT YET CLOSED," HE DECLARES 

Trail Judges, After Secret Written Ballot, Announce They Were Lenient Because of War Record; Colonel Eligible to Retire in 2 Years. 

BY JOHN EDWIN NEVIN
Col. William Mitchell, former assistant chief of the army air service, has been found guilty as charged.
He was sentenced last night by the general court-martial, trying him for violation of the 96th article of war, to complete suspension from the army for a period five years and to forfeit all pay and allowances for that period.
The verdict was expected. The sentence came as a complete surprise. It will not become effective until it finally is passed upon by President Coolidge. It may be set aside by him in his judgment and he can, if he allows it to stand, modify the sentence as passed. There was a suggestion last night that the actual period of suspension might be reduced to two years. 
The court specifically stated that conviction was on the original charge and on all of the eight specifications contained therein. The failure to dismiss from the service, which had been demanded most insistantly by the trial judge advocate and his assistants, was stated by Maj. Gen. Robert L. Howze, president of the court, to be due to the good record of Col. Mitchell in the world war. 
Immediately on announcing its verdict and the sentence the court was adjourned sine die. The record will be completed at once and transmitted to the War Department board of review after which it will go to the Secretary of War and the President. 

Mitchell Hears Verdict With Smile.
Col. Mitchell listened to the verdict with a smile on his face. He had anticipated conviction and really expected that he would be dismissed from the service. He had nothing to say about the verdict in general. 
"The case is not yet closed," he explained. "This verdict and sentence must be passed on for President Coolidge to pass upon. Until then it is not effective and it would hardly be in good taste for me to say anything about it."
Representative Reid, of Illinois, chief counsel for Col. Mitchell, also assumed a reticent attitude. He intimated that he might have something to say later on but that for he presen all he deisred was an opporunity to get a much needed rest. 
That the verdict would be against Col. Mitchell was indicated within ten minutes after the summing up addresses were completed. The court had retired to deliberate on its findings only to return in a very breif period to ask the trial judge advocate whether he had any record of previous convictions of Col. Mitchell. This was an indication to the colonel and all in the courtroom familiar with military procedure that Mitchell had been found guilty. The information demanded was to assit the court in fixing his punishment. 

SUSPENDED CRITIC 
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