From the Archives: Episode Six

O. John Rogge, head of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. Rogge is pictured here on Feb. 12, 1943, after being put in charge of the sedition investigation.

Sen. Huey Long (D-LA) addressing a crowd in New Orleans on Nov. 12, 1934. Before Long was elected to the U.S. Senate, he was Governor of Louisiana.

Campaign poster for Huey Long's 1924 Louisiana gubernatorial campaign.

Indictment brought by special prosecutor O. John Rogge on Jan. 3, 1944. Rogge charged 30 Americans with seditious conspiracy, for allegedly trying to overthrow the government of the United States.

Sedition trial defendant Lois de Lafayette Washburn gives the Nazi salute outside the courthouse on the first day of the trial on April 17, 1944.

Nazi agent and sedition trial defendant George Sylvester Viereck enters a prison van to be taken to the Washington, DC federal courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition trial defendant August Klapprott enters a prison van in handcuffs to be taken to the Washington, DC federal courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition trial defendant Elizabeth Dilling (left) stands in front of the courthouse with her husband and daughter on the first day of the trial on April 17, 1944.

Sedition trial defendant Eugene Nelson stands outside the courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition trial defendant Gerald Burton Winrod and his wife pose outside the courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition defendants Eugene Nelson and Joe McWilliams pose in front of the courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition defendant Ernest Elmhurst reads the newspaper outside the courthouse on May 9, 1944.

Sedition trial defendant Lawrence Dennis arrives at the courthouse on May 9, 1944.

A page of the sedition trial court transcript from May 17, 1944, the day special prosecutor O. Jon Rogge delivered his opening statement to the jury.

An excerpt of the sedition trial court transcript from May 17, 1944. Defendant Edward James Smythe interrupted Rogge to exclaim, "I am a Republican, not a Nazi."

An excerpt of the sedition trial court transcript from May 17, 1944. Defendants Robert Noble and Ellis O. Jones interrupt Rogge to accuse him of lying to the court about the charges against them.

An excerpt of the sedition trial court transcript from May 17, 1944. Defendants erupted into yells for prosecutor O. John Rogge to sit down during his opening statement to the jury.

An excerpt of the sedition trial court transcript from May 17, 1944. Chief Justice Edward Eicher had to repeatedly use his gavel to silence the defendants during opening statements.