Author's Heavy Fine

Milwaukee, Feb. 22.- -Judge William ft. Reaman of the United States circuit :ourt for the eastern district of Wis:onsin made a ruling upon authorship that will probably interest writers in all parts of the country, and attract the especial attention of authors oL philosophical works. The judge sentenced Emil Ruedebusch, the author of the "Old and the New Ideal," which District Attorney Phillips held was so improper that it could not be sent through the mails without a violation of the postal laws, and in pronouncing sentence upon Ruedebusch for this offense the judge maintained that the aim of a writer in publis-jng a book need not be taken in consiaeration, the only question to consider being its effect upon the -reader and society. The sentence was one day imprisonment and a fine of $1.200. Comparatlvely ünfcnown Axithor. Mr. Ruedebusch lives at Mayville, Wis., and is comparatively unknown, and the decisión he was the cause of eliciting is of f ar more importance than his book, which his attorneys, S. W. Lamoreaux and C. W. Felker, said was a philosophical treatise. "In this case," said the judge, having called Ruedebusch to the stand, "the jury has indicted you of the crime charged in the indietment, and their decisión and judgment was undoubtedly right. Of the question of the falsity of the doctrines contained in the book, this court has nothing to do. That they are false from top to bottom seems to me quite apparent to any man. From what has appeared in this case, I am satisfied, however, that you are not a bad man in the sense in which it would have to be said, if the sentiments contained in that book were to be attributed to you. as you understand the views. ljed into Tlieovlzlníf. "Now. I ara iiirlined to think you have become imbued with notions and theories whieh have led you into a theorizing of yourself, without realizing what it would come to, and that the only poss-ihle result of your doctrines would be the absolute destruction of all home life, and all the social relations, and everything that we holddear; everything that is contained in the civiliza tion of the world; would carry us back beyond any matters entertained in the dark ges. "All that, however, would not lie as grouna tor a sentence in this case: but it does lie in this. what I have no doubt you did not realize, and that is that the reading of such sentiments, in the language in which they are olothed, is absolutely sure to he demoralizing and dangerous to the mind of the young. The hcense suggested is the danger in the book. ïntentions of AutJior. "But as you are not one of whom it would seem to me it would be feit or said ihat there waf any intention on your part to carry out such effeets, the court is justified in taking that into consideration, and that there should not. be imposed upon you that severe term of imprisonment which would be imposed if I feit that it was an intention on your part to do the harm that will necessarily be done by the dissemination of the sentiments contained in this book. "The sentence of the court therefore is that you be imprisoned in the county iail of Milwaukee county for one day, and pay a fine of $1,200, and that you remain imprisoned until the fine is Mr Ruedebusch was visibly affected by the suspense while the judge was speaking, and the sentence, when it was finally pronounced.