Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-12-08
GERMAN BUSINESS
MEN, HELD GUILTY
AWAIT BIG FINES
Dr.. Karl Buenz and Other Off,
Gals of Hamburg American
Line Are Convicted of Con-
spiracy to Evade Laws.
ONLY ONE BALLOT TAKEN
Penalty May Be Put at Two
Years Imprisonment and
Fine of $10,00O-Not
Last Word, They Say.

EiHe OF $lU,UUU - MOI
Last Word, They Say.
New York, Dec. 4.-The federal dis
trict courts ina disposition Of the
case of DR.. Kari Buenz and his three
associates in the Hamburg-American
line, convicted last night of conspiracy
to deceive and defraud the United
States, hung fire today.
Judge Howe had set this afternoon
as the time for hearing the usua
formal motions of the defense, but when
court convened, the defendants law
yers announced they were not yet
ready and q further postpOnement un-
til tomorrow morning was granted.
At that time motions to set aside the
verdict and to arrest judgment, pend
ing appeal, will be made. Meantime.
the bail of the defendants, $4,000 each.
Will be continued.
The late hour last night lei the
verdict was reached. was assigned as
the reason for today's delay.
Ono Ballot Taken.
In reaching its decision the jury is
reported to. "a taken only one ballot
and this after several hours of discus
sion of the evidence in minute detail.
The jury was given the case at 2:40
yesterday afternoon. Its foreman.
dict at 1910 o'clock last night, sever
and one-half hours later.
An appeal, it seemed certain, will be
k to the federal court Of appeals,
and in case The verdict is upheld. to the
supreme court of the United States. In
the meantime the defendants will prob
bail each, as 1t is the present intention
OF the government not to ask hat the
bond be increased.
One British Prisoner.
The o defendants affected by the
verdict are DR.. Karl Buenz, managing
in New York city, former German
ounse general here. former German
minister to Mexico and German COM
missioner in h Venezuelan arbitration
proceedings before The Hague tribunal:
George hotter, general superintendent
Of the line; Adolph Hachmeister, gen.
eral purchasing agent, and Joseph Pop
pinghaus, a former officer in the Ger
man navy and at present a second Of
ficer in the Hamburg American line. A
cargo on one of the neutral steamers
sent to supply the German fleet, was
not brought to trial. He was captured
by the British while on his errand Of
relief. and is al the present time a
prisoner in a Canadian detention camp.
The four defendants took the verdict
calmly. After the jury had filed out
DR.. Buenz turned to hotter, sitting at
his left. and rising shook hands. "Auf
Wiedersehen." he said. and hotter
echoed the words. Hachmeister sat
silent. Poppinghaus. tall. athletic.
youngest Of the four, rose to his full
height and smiled.
Il do not care" he said in broken
English. This is not the last word"
History Of tho Case.
NJ ..-1N-A ~ -, So
associates was the elimination of an
Investigation begun last winter by
agents of the department of justice in
to h chartering and sailing of GER
tain neutral vessels from American
ports in August, September and De-
These vessels. 16 in number, sailed
for South American and African ports,
and. in two cases. Cadiz. Spain, from
New York, Philadelphia, Newport
News. Pensavcla and New Orleans. In
some cases the vessel showed up at
points other than their destination. in
other instances were captured by allied
warships many miles out Of their
course. and in M caserthe American
steamer Berwind-actually transferred
supplies to two German converted
cruisers.
In every case a German supercargo.
supreme in command, sailed and di-
rected Oh sought to direct the vessels
movements Wuou she T0aCn0Q the nlEn
After weeks of investigation the in
formation obtained by government
agents was placed before the federal
grand jury here, and two indictments
were returned. They charged con-
spiracy TO deceive and defraud the
American government by the defend
ants failure to state the exact cargo
and the true destinations Of the vessels
named in ordering ~clearances.
Make Free Admissions.
Once in court the defendants freely
admitted that they had chartered IL
ships and Outfitted them at q total ex-
n of more than $1,000, 900 and sent
them out to succor German men of
war. This. they c~ontended. they had q
right to do. They denied all intent to
deceive or defraud the American gov
eminent. and said that they sought to
deceive only the enemies Of Germany.
During the trial 1t developed that
Capt. K Boy-ed, German naval attache
at Washington, had directed the ex-
penditure Of $760.000 additional which
was sent here from Berlin in August,
1914. The government charged that
virtually the entire $750.00O was spent
In fu~rtherance Of plans to aid German
Warships at sea under the supervision
and with the knowledge Of Captain
B0y-ed.
When the defendants took the Wit
q stand It was brought out that the
lines activity In sending supplies "a