The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-30
SHIP EMPLOYEES ARE
FIRE PLOT SUSPECTS
More Arrests TO Follow Round
up Of Z Prisoners Charged
With Sugar Thefts.
GERMAN ACTIVITY LIMITED

Additional arrests and more serious
charges than grand larceny are expected
in the next few days as results OF the
police bomb squads investigation OF
fires and thcfts on sugar ships destined
for the Allies. Information in the hands
Of Deputy Commissioner Soul and capt.
Tunncy leads them to believe that many
others besides the seven men now under
arrest are involved in the alleged con-
spiracy. Detectives disguised AZ long
shoremen now have under surveillance
CHI ,ckers and weighers In the employ Of
the steamship companies whose vessels
caught fire.
The SIX men arrested on Friday night
and Saturday. five of them officers Of
lighters ard barges which carried sugar
to the steamships, one n second hand
furniture dealer. and one other. a checker
on the French Line pier. Jean Styrms.
n Belgian. were each held In $4,000 bail
yesterday In the Yorkville court. on "A
short affidavit. for further Examination
Tomorrow. The i've bargemcn and the
checker were charged with grand lar
ceny and the second hand furniture
dealer with receiving stolen goods.
Meanwhile the police and fire investiga-
tors are looking for direct violence Of
arson.
Capt Tunney announced yesterday at
Police Headquarters that he had re-
celved $500 in cash from three OF his
prisoners. which Is held rs par OF the
receipts Of the last sugar thefts. Ac-
co ding to Capt. Tunney the prisoners
turned the money over to him as follows {:
Jean Stvrms, a weight checker on the
French Line pier at Thirty-fourth street.
$3.50. OF which. Capt. Tunney related.
Styrms said he had received 800 from
Richard Milhofer. captain of the lighter
Tr'cl, and 500 from Capt. Michael
Matzet OF the lighter :. r. :. John
Peterson. mate of the s. +. s. $50, and
Capt. Matzet. 500. Capt. Tunney said
that Capt. Matzct and Peterson had the
cash with them when they were arrested.
but that Styrms had given $500 of his
m' ney to his brother. This was rccov-
cred by means OF a note sent to Styrms's
brother on Saturday.
The police are unable to obtain ac-
curate information OF the amount OF the
alleged thcfts or the amount of sugar
that was damaged by the mysterious
fires. Some OF this Information must
come from the receivers of the sugar
cargoes at Havre and Marscilles. II
has been determined. however. that APP
proximatcly $4,000 to SlOO. 900 worth
OF sugar was stolen and that perhaps a
larger mount damaged by fire.
Although the principal theory the police
are working on is that the fires were
started by acid bombs to cover the
alleged thefts. a systematic investiga-
tion Is being made for evidence pointing
to German activity also because of the
German extraction OF four Of the
prisoners.
Evidence already gathered by Capt.
Tunney's squad shows that the lighter
Trial loaded three vessels which caught
fire. the Devon city. the Knutsford and
the k~irkoswald. each in the same hold,
No. 2, which the Trial loaded The
police and fire marshal also can prove
by witnesses, they say. that the fire on
the lighter Dixie last Friday morning
spread rapidly and had all the character
istics of suspicious origin.
II In the opinion OF the police and fire
Investigators that in the four vessels
which caught fire in port here the FIRE
was started by bombs made of sulphuric
acid and chloride OF potash. Capt. Tun-
ney said a stick OF sulphur weighing a
pound and n half had been found in the
cabin of the :. +. $. Detectives and
iongshorefnen discovered that the sugar
was being stolen and removed by fast
launches at night. hut efforts to follow
IN other launches were futile,