The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-05
But, Pending Appeal. Are Re-
leased on $4,000 Bail Each
With Long. Time to Trial
FIGHT IN COURTS
MAY TAKE OVER YEAR
Venerable Head Of Line Is
Sentenced TO Year and Half
in Atlantis Prison - Nomi-
nal Fine Against Company

New York, Dec. 4--Kari Bnenz. head
of tho Hamburg Line in
America. formerly minister to Mexi-
co for Germany, and ex-consui- general
at this port for the Kaiser. was sem
fenced by Judgo Howe In the United
States District Court today to serve
a year and hatf in the Federal PEN
itentiary at AtlAuta for conspiring to
defraud the United States government
by obtaining ctsArAnces falsely sworn
to. The false papers were used to
American ports last fall and winter.
to coal and provision German war
ships At sea- Or. Buenz is now In his
seventy-third year.
George Koetter. experimenting en-
gtneer Of the neutrality-suspicious. Line.
and Adolp Hachmeister, purchasing
agent OF the l1ne, also received jail
sentences OF year and half Joseph
Poppinghaus. still in his thirties and
youngest of the convicted conspirators,
received the ttghtest prison sentence
OF the four man convicted, enc year
and one day 81 Atlanta.
poppinghaus was the super cargo
placed aboard tn steamer Berwind, OF
the supply nest, by the Hamburg
American Hns with authority TO direct
| tho skipper Of the Berwind. which
sailed from this port under the Ameri-
lean Rag. to trAnsship the cargo to
German warships At sea. instead OF
taking the cargo to Buenos Ayres. thu
port Of destination sworn to on the
clearance papers.
Line Itself FtnsA ~ and Costs.
TIE Hamburg America line itself.
which was also convicted of the con
spiracy charge. was sentenced to pay
the nominal fine -.of otic dollar without
IEosfs OF prosecutor" The line which
under tho Lars could have been Aimed
mot more than $4,000 on each OF the
1.-TWO indictments upon which It was con-
| victed. got OF lightly because of Judge
Howes opinion that the corporation
icouId not "conspire. think. agree or
act" except as Il did these things
/ through DR.. Buenx and the other con-
spirators
| The tall whitehaired, venerable-look-
ing head OF the line heard his jail
sentence pronounced without the
slightest sign of emotion. Hachmeis-
ter did not seem perturbed either. This
head of the engineering department OF
tn lire. Koetter smiled while Judge
Howe was pronouncing sentence. As
for the comparatively youthful looking
Poppinghaus, who. during the course
OF the trial last week. had become the
father Of a baby girl. he wore his
almost ever-preeent broad grin.
Rail Increased.
I The bail OF each OF the defendants
| WAS increased after sentence from s.,
| goo to $4,000. Adolphus A. Jackson,
| of the United States Fidelity and Guar
Anty Company. was on hand with the
necessary bonds. and the men were re-
leased pending their appeal to the Cir
cult Court OF Apeals.
! Tho only show Of feeling on the part
of DR.. Buenx. after he had been SEN
| fenced. happened along when pro-
cess server stepped up and handed him
4 subpoena to testify in civil case
later in the month.
| "Achr cried the managing director
Of the line when he had glimpsed the
| contents OF the paper served upon
him. Now this comes along, and