The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-10-04
LOADED
LIFE BELTS
New Jersey Cork Firm Charged
With a Grave OffenSe.
IRON IN THE pREsERvERs
Eight Ounces Of the Metal lnsrsad Of
Cork Said to Have Been Substituted
For Use In Six Pound BeIts-Federal
Authorities Have the Case.

For Use In Six Pound Belts-Federal
Authorities Have the Case.
Washington. Oct. ga conspiracy |
which has been developed by officials Of
the department Of commerce and labor J
and Of the department Of justice has
resulted IN the arrest az Camden, \. ]
Of J. H stone, II. c. Quintard, Charles
W. Russ and james Russ. officers Of
tile Nonpareil Cork works.
They were apprehended by the Unit
ed States marshal for the district of
New Jersey under an indictment found
on Sept. 20 by the United States grand
Jury at Trenton charging them under
section $40 OF revised statutes OF the
United States with conspiring to de
fraud the government and prejudice
the administration Of the steamboat
inspection laws by putting upon the
market compressed cork blocks for use
fin making life preservers, each Of
which blocks contained III its center a
piece of bur iron about six inches long
and weighing eight ounces. The iron
bar was inserted and concealed in the
block for the purpose Of increasing the
weight to the legal requirement Of six
pounds of good cork for each life pre-
server The men arrested viii be ar
raigned soon before the United States
district court Of New Jersey to plead
to the indictment
Early IN August David Kahnweilers
Sons. manufacturers Of life preservers
in New York city. ordered from the
Nonpareil Cork works at Camden,
N. u, blocks Of compressed corks for
1850 life preseryers. Eight Of these
blocks are used in each preseryer, and
the United States law requires that the
eight blocks shall contain six pounds
/ Of cork. Some OF the blocks were
found to be under weight. and the cork
works substituted others that seemed
far too heavy.
Found Iron In the Blocks.
Lewis KahnweiIer while examining
one OF them broke il by accident and
found imbedded IN its center an iron
bar six inches long, one inch wide and
quarter Of an inch thick weighing
eight ounces.
The Kahnweilers again wrote the Of
acers of the Nonpareil Cork works
and, according to the indictment. let
ter was received in reply suggesting
that the Kahnweilers were foolish K
make so much trouble about a small
affair Of that kind
Convinced that some action ought {
be taken in the matter. .Kahnweiler'
Sons communicated with Robert
} Rode. supervising inspector Of ia
steamboat inspection service for th
district OF New York Inspector Rod
, reported the facts to Acting Seeretar
.. OF the Department Of Commerce an
Labor Lawrence O. Murray.
Secretary Murray Immediately pr
/ sented the facts in his possession
I the department Of Justice Attorne
General Moody delegated the inyestig
ton OF the case to Oliver Il. Pagin a
assistant attorney general Of the Uni
ed states.
! MIR. Pagin went directly to Ne
York. where be began an exhaustiy
) investigation, being assisted by Secr'
i Service Operative Brzezinski and Sc
i eraf inspectors OF the steamboat 4
7 spection service. Mr.. Pagin and OF
{ Ger Brzezinski discovered the worl
man who had placed the iron bars
/ thei cork blocks and learned from hi
i the details OF the manufacture Of Il
s extra heavy blocks. Having deyelope
d all the facts, including the eorresponi
{, ence regarding the blocks which ha
passed between KahnweiIers Sons an
t the Nonparei Cork works. Mr.. Pagi
! presented the case to the federal gran
/ jury in session at Trenton. The graz
7 Jury returned a true bin on the ey
: dence presented, bench warrants we
issued for the officials Of the Nonpare
It Cork works. and the arrests We're mat
h at Camden By the United States ma
e shall. United States District Attornt
& yreeland of New Jersey has been I
y rected BY the department Of Justice
prosecute tile indictments vigorously.
Since the Slocum disaster an il
ii mense number Of new life preserve
il has been placed upon AL passenger Ne
& sells
$ a special effort has been made to a
y certain whether any loaded life pr
y servers are now Ia use on any vesse
], Secret Service Operative Brzezins
s boarded twenty-five vessels. incIudn
excursion steamers Of all kinds tn
ii boats and ferryboats and examin
il with shoemaker's avn thousands
life preseryers with view Of ases
tanning whether any Of them contain
Z tie iron bar.
8 He found none So loaded From g
dence obtained at the Nonpareil e
tory it seems certain that the emit
y output Of the extra heavy blocks
s Under seizure BIZ the government d
r win confront the officials Of the Nc
d nareil company when they are plac
II Oh trial. 1t ~ expected THAT their 81
y will take place at the present term
y the United States district court
81 Trenton,
T. I