Grudin

Grudin appeals from four orders of the district court committing him for contempt in refusing to answer four questions put to him as a witness before the district judge and the grand jury, sitting together in a grand jury investigation. From the questions asked Grudin before the grand jury prior to the hearing before both the grand jury and the court, it could be inferred the crime being investigated was some violation of the espionage acts in which a number of persons were engaged. Grudin was asked if he knew a number of persons and said he knew some of them and refused on the ground of possible incrimination to answer to the others. Later, when the matter was before both judge and jury, it was for the first time revealed to Grudin by the government that the transaction in connection with the transfer of title of an automobile was between Grudin and one Goodman and not, as it appeared, between Grudin and a secondhand car dealer, one McCarter.

Grudin had testified in the hearing before the grand jury alone that he had mailed the following letter dated January 28, 1946, marked Exhibit 11, to one Roy C. McCarter:

It is apparent that there is no admission of any act criminal or…