The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-04

Washington, october IA conspira-
cy which has been developed by officials
of the department OF commerce and
labor and OF the department of justice.
today resulted in the arrest at Camden.
n. J., OF ]. H. stone, II. c. Quintard,
Charles w. Russ. and James Russ. Of
ficers OF the Nonpariel Cork Works.
They were apprehended by the United
States marshal for the District OF New
Jersey. under an indictment found on
September 29th by the United States
grand jury at Trenton. charging them
under Section 54i OF The Revised Stat
utes Of the United States with conspir-
ing to defraud the government and
prejudice the administration of the
steamboat inspection laws by putting
upon the marker compressed cork
blocks. for use In making life preserv-
ers, each of which blocks contained In
its centre a piece Of bar 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
for each life preserver. The men ar
rested will be arraigned probably early
next week before the United States
District court OF New Jersey 10 plead
to the indictment.
Early in August, David Khanweller's
Sons. manufacturers of life preseryers
In New York city ordered from the
Nonpariel Cork Works OF camden. y.
j., blocks of compressed cork for l.750
life preservers. Eight of these blocks
are used in each preserver and the
United States law requires that the
eight blocks shall contain six pounds
of cork
When the cork blocks were delivered
to khanweiler's Sons. Lewis Khan
weller. a member of the firm. who is
an expert in the handling OF bare cork.
suspected that they were underweight.
Putting them on the scale he discover
ed that eight Of the blocks which, ac>
cording to legal requirements should
weigh six pounds. weighed only L.
pounds. Knanwefler's Sons thereupon
wrote the Nonpariel Cork Works call
Ing its officers attention TO the UNDER
weight Of the cork blocks, and inquir-
ing whether the blocks could not DO
made OF serviceable weight. The Nom
pariel company replied that IL would
adjust the matter by sending TO Khan
weiler's Sons some extra heavy blocks
one of which could be used in each life
preserver. thus increasing its weight
to the legal requirement. In due time
the blocks arrived. They were 50
heavy as 10 arouse instant suspicion.
Lewis Khanweiler while examining one
| Of them broke IL by accident and found
embedded in its center an iron bar, six
inches long, one inch wide, and a quar-
| ter Of an inch thick. weighing eight
ounces. The KhanweiIer's again wrote
the officers of the Nonpareii Cork
Works demanding to know what they
| meant by putting iron In the cork
blocks and informing them that a.
Khanweiler's Sons were obliged TO put
their names on each preserver. such a
fraud would ruin their business
According 10 the indictment a letter
was received in reply suggesting tha,
tfle Khanweiler's were foolish to make
50 much trouble about small affair
OF that kind.
Further examination of the extra
heavy blocks disclosed the fact that
each of them contained an iron bar SIM
liar 10 that which was found I'm the first
one. In all. 251 OF the extra heavy
| blocks were received by KhanweiHer' 3
Sons. khanweiler's Sons communicate
ed with Supervising Inspector Rodie OF
New York and an Investigation was
begun by Federal officers leading 10 the
arrest today.