Washington, Oct, 20.
'The Farnsworth spy case was reopened today as John S. Farnsworth {instituted habeas corpus action in the Georgia Federal Court, 'The former lieutenant-commaniler in the United States, who Is now serving sentence for' conspiring to communicate naval secrets to. Japan, originally entered a plea of nolo contendere, declaring that he would offer no defence to a charge of espionage when brought for trial in February, 1937, He later attempted to enter a plea of not guilty, but this was denied and he was. sentenced to imprigon~ ment from four to twelve yel Judge E. Marvin Underwood ordered copies of the depositions made in the trial from the prosecutor's wi ness and court reporters, Friends of the family contended that Farnsworth was re-opening the ease because he had been forced 10 plead nolo contendere, The 44-year-old prematurely grey defendant has been in jail since his arrest July 18, 1996, at his former wife's "apartment, He, was four guilty delivering to Cmdr. "Yoniyuki Ttimiya and It-Cmdr. Akita Yamaki former naval attaches of the Japan: ese Embassy here, a highly contdential naval pamphlet entitled "The Service of Information and Security"
The Japanese were indicted with him but both had returned to Japan months before Farnsworth's arrest The Government subsequently took the position that while they might be extraditable they could claim diplomatic immunity and possibly forestall extradition for years—United Press
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.