Biography
Samuel Sterenstein was a conscientious objector from Massachusetts imprisoned during World War I. Court-martialed for refusing military service, he was held at Fort Jay / Governer's Island; Fort Leavenworth; Fort Douglas. Sentenced to 30 years in prison - reduced to 3 years. (Documented in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection's World War I Conscientious Objectors database.) Archival note: registered on June 5, 1917, as a C.O.; refused inoculation; court-martialed at Camp Upton on July 28, 1918, charged with insubordination; sentenced (along with Julius Eichel) for "defiance" to 20 years at Ft. Jay / Governor's Island (where 1 of 3 disciplinary barracks was located); …
Custody record
The cited World War I archival record does not establish a one-day imprisonment. The imposed sentence and the period actually spent in custody are different; no exact duration is recorded here unless supported by custody records.
Swarthmore’s biographical account of Julius Eichel independently names Sterenstein in their July 28, 1918 Camp Upton trial. Eichel’s later release date must not be transferred to Sterenstein.
