The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-03-03

COMPANY
INDICTED
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. LINE
IS IN BAD; GONSPIR-
ACY IS CHARGED

| New York, March 81. The federal
grand jury which has been investi
eating violations Of the customs laws
in connection with the furnishing OF
supplies to German cruisers in the
Atlantic, returned indictments against
1.-THE Hamburg-American Line and five
men alleged to have been connected
with the shipment
The indictments charge conspiracy
Ito siefraud the government through
the filing at the custom house Of false
records, false clearances of vessels
land false manifests Of cargo.
The men named In the indictments
are Karl Bunz, director, in charge OF
the New York office of the Hamburg
American Line; J. Poppenhause, who
served as supercargo on the steam
ship Berwind; George Kotter, Felix
Jeffner and Adolph Hacmeister.
investigating Since Friday.
The federal grand jury had been in
vestigating since Friday last com
plant made by Sir Courtenay Bennett
British consul general here, and evi
dence submitted by the officers of the
United States district attorney. The
consul general alleged violations OF
1.-THE customs law in connection with
the chartering Of the American
steamships Berwind and Lorenzo and
the Norwegian steamships Fran and
Sommerstad.
Kotter is superintendent of the
Hamburg American Line here, and
Jeffner was supcrcargo of the Lor-
EMO, a vessel owned by the New York
land Porto Rico Steamship company,
which was surprised and captured in
West Indian waters by British
cruiser while coaling the German
cruiser Karlsruhe.
Two indictments Were Returned.
The conspiracy, 1t is charged in the
indictments, was formed on Aug. 1,
last. and included the defendants
named and other persons unknown to
the grand jury. In furtherance Of the
conspiracy, it is alleged in the indict-
ments, Superintendent Kotter on Aug,
8 1914, consulted with John H. Cans
of the Cans Steamship Line, officials
of the Berwind-White Coal Mining
company and Vessels, Kulenkampff
& Company, exporters, regarding the
clearance of the Berwind. 1t is fur
ther charged in the indictments that
on the same day Karl Bunz and
George Kotter consulted with Gustave
Kulenkampff, member Of the last
named firm, about the clearance of
the steamship Lorenzo with cargo
of coal for Buenos Aires.
over Two Weeks Late.
1t was the firm of Vessels, Kulen-
kampff & Company which cleared the
Lorenzo from this port. The Lorenzo
had aboard 1907 tons Of coal. The
same concern cleared the Berwind,
which had aboard 2,737 tons of coal.
The Berwind steamed from New York
on Aug. 5 for Buenos Aires and ar
rived at Rio Janero Sept. IS, more
than two weeks overdue.
The federal authorities here are
said to have learned of the operations
and movements of the Berwind and
the Lorenzo in their efforts to furnish
supplies to the German auxiliary
cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
and the Karlsruhe, from various
members of the crews of the two
American ships.
The sailors complained that they
had been badly treated on the trips to
the German warships. Alleged facts
in this connection were considered by
the grand jury. The defendants will
be arraigned in the United States dis
trict court here tomorrow for plead
ing.