The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-01
Opens ITS CASE
GOVERNMENT STARTS CONSPIR=
ACY TRIAL In NEW YORK
WILL NOT ALLOW Plea

'sFacts" Shut Off by District At
torney Who Refuses to Accept Ad-
mission Of Facts as DISTRIBUTORS
More Witnesses to Come Later.
The government opened it's case in
the conspiracy trial Of several Ham
burg-American steamship line Off
cials charged with defrauding the
United States by sending neutral re-
lief ships with coal and other sup
plies to German warships in the At
lantic and Pacific oceans at the be-
ginning OF the European war.
In a short opening address to the
jury, Roger B. Wood, assistant y. S.
district attorney, said that the gov
ernment would show that the de-
PENDANTS rode roughshod over the
laws and treaties of the United States
as eontemptuously as II those laws
and treaties had been mere scraps
Of paper"
William Rand, counsel for the de-
PENDANTS, offered to concede certain
charges Of the government, involving
IL steamers, and in his concession
admitted that Dr.. Buenp and his as
sociates had sent out the vessels as
charged to meet German y'arships in
the Atlantic and deliver their sup
plies. Mr.. Rand said that in sending
these vessels his clients were acting
on legitimate orders which came to
them by cable from the home office
- sy
But the government lawyers re-
jected the concession and sought to
prove their case out Of the mouths OF
witnesses.
'sThe defense is not willing to ad-
NIT the facts; it is trying to smother
then," was Woods retort to Rand's
offer.
"Quite the contrary" replied Rand
smilingly. 1--WE are willing to admit
that S75o,000 had been spent as
the government is trying SO hard to
prove. Why, we are willing to go
much further than +hat-we will ad-
nit that S2,o00,000 Of German mon
ey was spent in chartering and sup
plying vessels for relief Of German
warships"
'.And how much nore?" asked Mr.
Wood.
'"That is all know off," was the
reply. "But, admitting the facts, We
do not admit the intent to deceive or
defraud, as charged in the indict-
ments.''
Kulenkampff's story on the stand
was that he had been summoned by
telephone to the Hamburg American
line offices In. New York August 5.
1914, and there had met Dr.. Buenz,
John II. Cans, now dead, Kotter and
Hachmeister. They told him they
wanted him to clear two American
.steamers, the Lorenzo and the Ber-
wind, loaded with coal, with all pos
sible speed that afternoon. It then
lacked only half an hour Of closing
time at the custom house and Kulen.
kampff hesitated to do as they asked
because he was not in the custom OF
clearing ships.
''They told me-" he said, "that
they did not want the Hamburg
American lire to appear in the trans
action" After parley Of several
minutes, during which Kulenkampfi
told them he had brother in busi-
ness in Buenos Ayres, he decided that
he would accommodate them and
swear to the clearance manifests, Civ
Ing hia name as shipper and his
brothe. in Buenos Ayres as the con-
signee.: He went to the custom house
and did 80 and the Berwind sailed
that evening and the Lorenzo next
day.
It developed from stories told on
the stand by succeeding witnesses
that Capt. Edward Falkenberg Of the
Berwind had sworn to manifest,
giving the shipment aboard the yes
sci as coal, and that a supplemental
manifest was not made till the next
day to cover certain cases Of provi-
sions and oils which a gang Of steve
dores had been loading on the Ber-
wind all day and night. For swear
ing falsely to the manifest, it develop
by the port authorities in New York
last December. This money was paid,
In the captains behalf, by the New
York and Puerto Rico Steamship
company, the .Berwind's owners.
"And was the $500 repaid to you"
Mr.. Wood asked Franklin D. Mooney,
president Of the company. cit was"
Mooney testified. cit came to US
through our attorneys. I understand
they received It from the Hamburg
American line"
Mooney and another official Of the
company testified that the sudden
calamity Of war had made it impos-
sible to obtain insurance on their
steamers, the Berwind and the Loren
70, at the time they were chartered to
the Hamburg-American line. Accord
ingly an indemnity bond was furnish
ed by the Hamburg-American line for
$350,0G0 In the case of the Lorenzo
and for s260,125 in the case Of the
Berwin. The Hamburg-American line
went on the bond with two sureties-
Edward J. Berwind and John A. Ber-
wind, millionaire coal operators.
'"This was in case anything should
happen" It was testified; "in case the
steamers should not be delivered
back to u.s.
Both steamers were seized by the
Entente allies as prizes. The Ber-
wind came back home after long pro-
ceedipgs, but the Lorenzo was confs-
Gated and sold under prie court or
ders.
"And did you get her full value as
set forth in the indemnity bond?"
Wood asked Richa1d D. Wrigley OF
the firm that owned the Lorenzo.
S eve did" he replied.
Later Wood asked Mooney from
whom the S350,000 was received.
eve got it through ont attorneys"
he said. "I understand it came from
the Hamburg-American line"
Although the governments wit
Tuesday testiQed mostly concerning
the Berwind and Lorenzo, the names
o. other steamers sent from Ameri-
can ports on the same errand figured
IN some Of the testimony. There was
little variance except as to sailing
dates an destinations of any of these
vessels. Twelve vessels were men
toned by name in Rand's confession
Of facts which the government re-