New-York tribune., 1904-10-02
LIFE PRESERYERS FRAUDS
IRON BARS IN THEM.
officers of Cork Wyorks at Camden,
n. d., .4rested.

Washington. Oct IA conspiracy which has
oeen developed by officials Of the Department OF
Commerce ana Labor and the Department Of
Justice resulted to-day IN the arrest an Carnder'
\ j. OF j. H. Stone, Il. c. Quintard. Charles "
Russ and James Russ. officers OF the Nonpareil
Cork Works.
Early IN August David Eahnveller's sons.
manufacturers OF life preservers a. No Ar
FeaFl-st-. New-York. ordered from tho Nom
Pa-etl CdrE works blocks CT CCn,u-e.rss .,a-
Tor L4J0 life preservers Eight OF these blocks
are used IN each preserver ana the United
states Ia" requires that the eight blocks shall
contain six pounds OF cork when the cory
blocks were delivered 20 Kahnweuer's sons
LOUIS kahnweiler. member oc the firm who
is an expert IN the handling OF cork suspected
that they were underwelght. Putting them on
the scales. he discovered that eight II ne blocks
which, according 20 legal requirements should
"elSh six pounds. weighed only five and one
har pounds. kahnweilers sons thereupon
wrote 70 the NonPareH Cork Works. calling at
tention to the underwelght and inquirng
whether the blocks could not be made OF ser
viceaole weight The Noupareil Company re-
Piled that IL would send 10 Kahnweiler's Sons
some extra heavy blocks. one OF which could
be 'lsed in each life preserver thus increasing
its weight TO the legal requirements. In dus
to arouse instant suspicion. Louis Kahn
weller. while examining one of them broke it
by accident and found embedded in its centre
an iron bar six inches long. one inch wide and
a quarter OF an inch thick. weighing eight
ounces
The Kahnweilers again wrote tc the officers
OF the Nonparen Cork Works, demanding 20
know what they meant by putting iron in the
cork blocks. and informing them that as Kahn
weiler's Sons were obliged TO put their names
on each preserver such 81 fraud would ruin their
business.
According 10 the Indictment "A letter was re-
ceived in reply suggesting that the Kahnweilers
were foolish 10 make much trouble about
small affair Of that kind.
Further examination Of the extra heavy
blocks disclosed the fact that each Of them CON
tanned an iron bar similar TO that found in the
first one. In all. 26I Of the extra heavy blocks
We're received by Kahnweiler's Sons. Convinced
that some action ought to be taken Kahnweil-
er's Sons communicated with Robert ;. Rode
Supervising Inspector of Steamboats, for the
District OF NeW-Xork and laid the facts before
him. Inspector Rode reported the facts To the
Acting Secretary OF the Department of Com
merce and Labor, Lawrence O. Murray He was
directed by MIR. Murray TO await instructions.
Mr. Murray Immediately presented the facts
in his possession 20 the Department OF Justice
Attorney General Moody delegated the investi-
cation OF the case to oliver T. Pagin an AS
sistant Attorney General. who was, for the pur-
oses of the inquiry, appointed al Assistant Dis
trict Attorney for the Southern District Of New
York and for the District OF New-Jersey.
Having developed all the facts including the
correspondence regarding the blocks which haC
passed between Eahnweiler's Sons and the Nom
Dareil Cork WOr.O Mr.. Pagn presented the case
10 the federal grand jury In session at Trenton
with an indictment which lie had drawn on the
facts. The grand jury returned a true bill on
the evidence presented. bench warrants were
issued for the officials Of the NOnparetl Cork
Works. and the arrests were made to-day at
Camden by the United States Marshal. District
Attorney Vreelsnd. OF New-Jersey, has been d.
rected by the Department Of Justice 10 prose-
cute the indictments vigorously.
Since the Slocum disaster great numbers OF
new life preservers have been placed on all pas
senger vessels and the inspection of them has
kent the inspectors busy they have scarcely
been ble 10 keep up with their work. II is
Do{nted ont by Mr.. Murray and Mr.. Pag!n that
Of the life preserver would have disclosed the
S-on bars unless the inspector making the eX-
animation had previous knowledge OF the char
Gcter OF the fraud
A sneciaI effort has been made TO ascertain
v-befher auv loaded ltfe preservers are now IN
,,ea on any vessels. A secret service officer
boarded twenty-five vessels, including excursion
staar,ers If All kinds. tuFh0ats and fe~ryNH'ts
and examined with n shoemaksr's nwl thou-
sands OF life preserVers ln o. der 10 asce4 tam
whether any OF them contained the iron bars
re fourd none so loaded. From evidence OBJ
tat1e5 a. the Nonpareu factory IL seems certain
that tha entire output Of the extra heavy
yIoclr.. fs under seizure by the government ana
Mill cov s~o77t the officials OF the Noupareil Com
80 go 49, tbev are placed trial. II is
pected that the trial VIII take place al the pres
ent tenn OF the United States District Court at
Trenton.
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