Von Cramm Gets Sentence Of Year, Evening Star (Article, 1938)
Full Text
VON CRAMM GETS SENTENCE OF YEAR
Net Star Is Sentenced on Moral Charge After 3-Hour Trial.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 14.--Baron Gottried von Cramm, the world's No. 2 amateur tennis player, was convicted of immorality today in a secret three-hour trial and sentenced to one year in prison.
A jury in Moabit Criminal Court found him guilty of improper relations with an 18-year-old Galician Jew, Manasse Herbst.
Von Cramm denied that he knew Herbst was a Jew. Neither court nor attorneys dwelt on this point, but in many Nazi trials defendants please "I did not know he (or she) was Jewish" or "he said he was Aryan" to counteract the Nazi attitude that relations with a Jew aggravate an offense.
German sport circles saw the complete ruin of their 28-year-old ace's career.
Benefits From Confession.
His name in German tennis, however, was recognized by the presiding judge, along with his youth and "frank and earnest confession of guilt," as extenuating circumstances in the case.
The jury overruled the state prosecutor's demand for an 18-month jail term by deciding on a one-year sentence and deduction of the two months the baron spent in jail during the investigation of the case.
Von Cramm, who have been ranked among the world's first 10 amateur tennis players since 1933, was arrested March 5 and the investigation started March 21.
The charge against him was of continued violation during 1935-6 of section 175 of the criminal code, which makes homosexuality punishable.
Public is Excluded
On the request of Von Cramm's attorney, Dr. Karl Langbehn, the public and press were excluded from the court during the proceedings, but were readmitted for the verdict and the reading of the opinion.
Von Cramm stood up as the verdict was pronounced, his head bowed, and then was taken to Moabit Jail, where he is to remain for 10 months.
The jury held the baron's association with the Galician Jew, who emigrated to Jerusalem March 15, 1936, was grave and severely incriminating evidence, especially in light of "the Roehm affair" of June, 1934.
Capt. Ernst Roehm, chief of staff of the storm troops, was among those killed in Hitler's sweeping "blood purge" which began June 30, 1934. Capt. Roehm was charged with plotting against Hitler and of indulging in immoral orgies.
The court opinion disclosed that Herbst had blackmailed Von Cramm for between $8,000-$12,000.
Baron von Cramm, ranked No. 2 tennis player in the world in 1936 and 1937, won the French singles championship in 1934 and 1936.
He lost to America's Donald Budge in three important matches last year and with Henner Henkel won the United States doubles championship last summer at Brookline, Mass.
Budge beat him in straight sets in the British championship final at Wimbledon.
Then, in the interzone David Cup finals between the United States and Germany, they met again in the deciding match of the series. Budge won, 6-8, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 8-6, in what experts said was the greatest tennis match ever played.
Von Cramm then came to the United States with Henkel and won the American doubles title in an upset victory over the American David Cup doubles team of Budge and Gene Mako.
Later, in the United States national singles at Forest Hills, Long Island, he lost for the third time to Budge in a five-set match.
