Biography
William J. Pennock was a Seattle attorney, Communist Party organizer, and former Washington state legislator. Federal agents arrested him on September 17, 1952 in the Seattle Smith Act roundup. His bail was reduced from $25,000 to $10,000 two days later. Pennock died at home on August 2, 1953 before the trial ended. The record confirms that he obtained release after the arrest but does not establish the release date.
National Guardian, October 19, 1953, national page 16: Its account of the Seattle Smith Act trial says it began April 15 with seven defendants, but Karley Larsen separated his defense and was acquitted, while William J. Pennock died August 2. These outcomes are distinguished from the October 9 guilty verdicts against the other five; neither death in custody nor a physical release date is established here. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/national-guardian/1953-10-19-5-52-nat-guardian.pdf
