The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-03-03
STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
INDICTED
HAMBURG AMERICAN LINE is
CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY
TO DEFRAUD GOVERNMENT
CUSTOMS VIOLATIONS.

New York, March 2.-The fedora
grand jury, which has been investi
eating violations of the customs laws
| in connection with the furnishing OF
supplies to German cruisers in the At
lantic, today returned indictments
against the Hamburg-Amefican line
and five men alleged to have been con
nected with the shipment. The in
| dictments charge conspiracy to de
| fraud the government through the
| filing at the custom house OF false
records, false cearances of vessels
and false manifests of cargo.
T The men named in the indictments
are Karl BUM, director in charge OF
| the New York office of the Hamburg
American line; j. Poppenhause, who
served as supercargo on the steamship
Berwind; George Kotter, Felix Jeffner
and Adolph Hacmeister.
Investigating Since Friday.
The federal grand jury had been in
yestigating since Friday last com
plant made by Sir Courtenay Ben
nett, British Consul General here, and
evidence submitted by the officers OF
the United States district attorney
The consul general alleged violations
of the customs law in connection with
the chartering of the American steam
ships Berwind and Lorenzo, and the
Norwegian steamships Fran and Som
merstad.
Kotter is superintendent of the Ham
| burg American line here, and. Jeffnel
was supercargo of the Lorenzo, yes
sci owned by the New York and Por
to Rico Cteamship Co., which was
surprised and captured in West In
dian waters by British cruiser while
coaling the German cruiser Karls
ruhe.
Two Indictments Were Returned
The conspiracy, it is charged in the
indictments, was formed on Aug l
last and included the defendant
named, and other persons unknown Il
the grandjury In furtherance Of th'
conspiracy, it is alleged in the indict
ments, Superintendent Kotter, on Aug
.. 1914. consulted with John H. Gan
of the Cans Steamship Line, official
of the Berwind- White Coal Mining Co
and Vessels, Kulenkampff & Com
pany, exporters, regarding the clear
ance of the Berwnd. 1t is furthe
charged in the indictments that OF
the same day Karl BUM and Georg
Kotter consulted with Gustave Kuler
kampff a member of the last nance
firm, about the clearance of the steam
ship Lorenzo with a cargo of coal TO
Buenos Aires.
1t was the firm of Vessels, Kuler
kamps & Company which cleared tn
Lorenzo from this port. The Lorenz
had aboard 1897 tons of coal. TIL
same concern cleared the Berwint
which had aboard 2,737 tons of Goa
The Berwind steamed from New Ior
on August 5, for Buenos Aires an
arrived at Rio Janeiro Sept. IS, NOR
than two weeks overdue.
The federal authorities here ar,
said to have learned of the operation
and movements of the Berwind an
the Lorenzo in their efforts to furnis
supplies to the German auxiliary cruiE
er Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse and tn
Karlsruhe, from various members G
the crews of the two American ships
The sailors complained that the
had been badly treated on the trips t
the German warships. Alleged fact
in this connection were considere
by the grand jury. The defendant
will be arraigned in the United State
district court here tomorrow for pleat
, ing.
III .