Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-04
HEADS OF HAMBURG
LINE FOUND GUILTY
Three High Officials of Company
and Subordinate officer Con-
victed of Conspiracy.
APPEAL LIKELY TO BE MADE


NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-Three high
officials and subordinate officer of
die Hamburg-American line we're
'ound guilty tonight in the federal
strict court Of having violated the
laws Of the United States in sending
coal and other supplies to German
cruisers in the south Atlantic in the
first few months of the European
war. The jury returned a verdict of
guilty on each of two indictments.
The specific charge against the defend
ants was conspiracy TO deceive and de-
fraud the United states. The maximum
penalty for each indictment Is two years
imprisonment and $4,000 fine. Sentence
was not imposed tonight. and because Of
| the late hour when the verdict was
reached, Judge howe deferred until to
morrow morning a hearing on the formal
| notion to set aside the verdict and arrest
Judgment which the defense is sure to
offer. A date for passing sentence viii
! then be designated.
Takes Only one ballot.
In reaching it's decision the jury Is re-
ported TO have taken only one ballot, and
this, after several hours of discussion Of
the evidence In minute detail. The jury
was given the case at $40 o'clock this
afternoon. Its foreman. George w. Pal
mer, announced the verdict a. 1910
o clock tonight, seven and one-half hours
later.
An appeal It seemed certain tonight,
viii be made to the federal court of APP
pea,s. and in case the verdict is upheld,
to the supreme court of the United
States. In the meantime the defendants
will probably remain at liberty under
5000 bail each. as It is the present in
tention of the government not to be asked
that the bond be increased.
The four defendants affected by the
verdict are, DR.. Karl Buenz, managing
director of the Hamburg american line
in New York City, former German consul
general here, former German minister to
Mexico and German commissions in the
Venezuela arbitration proceedings before
The Hague tribunal; George hotter, gen.
eral superintendent of the line; Adolph
Hachmeister, general purchasing agent.
and Joseph Poppinghaus, former officer
in the German navy, and at present a
second officer in the Hamburg-American
line.
Fifth Not on Trial.
A fifth defendant, Felix Seffner super
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 at the present time 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
In A,,f
Wiedersehenl" he said. and hotter echoed
the words Hachmeister sat silent. Pop
Iinghaus, tall, athletic. youngest of the
four. rose to his full height and smiled.
II do not care" he said in broken Eng
lish. This is not the last word"
Must Observe Laws.
Defendants counsel was silent as to the
verdict. Roger b. Wood, the assistant
United States district attorney who con-
Quoted the governments case. said
This verdict means only one thing
that the laws OF the United States must
be observed by citizens of all bellgerent
powers; that IL our laws are violated by
anyone of them and the American gov
eminent finds 1t out they will be prose-
cuted."
The trial of DR.. Buenz and his three
associates was the elimination of an in
vestigation begun last winter by agents
OF the Department OF Justice into the
cbartering and sailing of certain neutral
vessels from American ports in August,
September and December, 1914.
These vessels, sixteen In number, sailed
| for South American and African ports,
end in two cases. Cadlz. Spain; from New
York, Philadelphia, Newport News,
Pensacola and New Orleans In some
| cases the vessels showed up at points
ether than their destination; in other in
stances were captured by allied warships,
many miles out OF their course, and in
tne case-the American steamer Berwind
actually transferred supplies to two
German converted cruisers.
SupercarEO I'm Charge.
In every case a German supercargo, SUI
preme in command. sailed and directed
or sought to direct the vessels movements
when 1t reached the high seas.
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 conspiracy TO deceive and