The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-03
SIX HELD
GUILTY in
BOMB PLOT
Jury. Brings In Verdict
After IS Minutes DELHI
GRAFTON, and Plotters Are
Put Under Heavy Bail for
Sentence.
Judge Charges Elimination
of All Sentiment, In Pres
ent Crisis, for or Against
Aliens, and a Common
Sense" Finding.

Sense" Finding.
New York, April 3-In As minutes
yesterday jury in the United States
District Court brought in a verdict of
guilty against the six Germans, head
ed by Capt. Charles Won Kleist, of
conspiring in making cargo-f firing
bombs on the dock of the North Ger
man liner, Friedrich Ger Gross, and at
DR.. w. T. Schceles fertilizer" labor
atory in Hoboken
I'VE find all the defendants guilty.
said the foreman. Counsel for the
accused demanded a poll, which was
taken.
Capt. Won Kleist's daughter, VIII o
had sat beside him during the judges
charge, looked up at her father ap-
4 pealingly, and extended her arm. The
tall, spare old man stiffened up IN
military style, but showed no emo
ton.
Karl Schmidt, chief engineer Of the
Frederick der Gross, and his four
junior engineers, George Becker.
Friedrich Karbcee, George Praedai
and William Paradis, w-re the others
found guilty.
Court Takes No Chance of Flight.
The six were remanded by Judge
Van Fleet until Friday for sentence.
Chief Assistant United States Attorney
John G. Knox asked that be fixed at
| SIS, 900 each, as in case of q declara-
ton of war they will legally be alien
enemies and under supreme tempta-
ton to get away. w. L. Wemple, J..
J. Cuneen and A Beha, counsel for
the defendants, protested -,
These men," said the judge, have
been convicted of a very serious Of
Tense, and I do not want to make
their bail SO easy as to offer any
chance Of putting it up to the court in
case any Of them fail to respond for
sentence"
He fixed Won Kleist's and Schmidt's
bail at $4,000 each,- Becker's at $15,-
900 and the others at $4,000 apiece.
The six were taken to the Tombs by
Deputy Marshals.
Summing up began at the opening
OF court yesterday. Mr.. Wemple, for
Capt. Won Kleist, said the offense
charged was political rather than
criminal Judge Van Fleet interpos-
ed: There is nothing in this alleged
offence of bomb making that is of an
international or political nature. The
crime, if any. is solely one against the
United States" :
Counsel for the defendants argued
that if there was a plot it was
Scheele's and he keut 1t from the
others. Making bombs. said Mr..
BAHIA, is not a crime unless those who
make them know what they are do
ing.
Mr.. Cuneen declared the arrests re-
suited from a plot Matched at the
British Consulate here. He denounced
Scheideman, the informer, as spy
who wormed into the bosom of Won
Kleist's family, and fooled the cap
tain into believing he was dealing
y with representative Of Wolf Won
Igel of the staff of Capt. Won Papen
Of the German embassy.
Owe Lives to Neutrality.
For the prosecution, Assistant
United States Attorney James w. Os-
borne End contended the conspiracy
originated with Scheele, Capt. Wolpert
Of the-Atlas line, and Capt. Bode and
that Won Kleist and Becker and the
others were in the job. }"~
'"rhey are all Germans and they all
were working for ermany," he said.
adding, "These defendants, sitting
heres ilent, have been protected by
our laws Of neutrality. They have ac-,
cepted our hospitality and have re-
manned here. safe from British raid
ers, while they made such wages as
they cared to work for
| Judge Van Fleet said in his charge:
There are certain conditions grow
ing out Of the strained political rela-
| lions unfortunately existing at this
| time between this country and the
German Empire calculated to more
| or less excite the public mind. These
| conditions are matters Of such COM
mon knowledge that 1t would be idle
| to expect you to disregard or ignore
| them as citizens; but it is my duty
| to admonish you must solemnly that
you must ignore and entirely disre-
| gard them as jurors.
1.-THE defendants on trial are all Of
German birth and with a single ex-
ception, aliens, but this fact does not
affect in the slightest their right in
our courts to an absolutely fair and
impartial trial based on the evidence
alone and wholly free from any con-
sideration of public sentiment. To
accord them less than that would be-
blot upon the. administration of JUS
tice and refiectio upon our civiliza-
ton.
Pro- German Sentiment Barred, Too.
On the other hand, IL there be
among your number any one or more
of you who by reason of your birth or
extraction entertain sentiments Of
sympathy for the German cause in
the great struggle now in progress,
which might tend to indlce you to
look too indulgently upon the case
of these defendants, those sentiments
likewise must be discarded by you. To
give heed to them and disregard the
evidence would be equally at variance
with your duty and a stain upon the
jury system.
1.-THE defendants and the govern
ment alike and equally are entitled t~
fair and impartial trial upon tbs
evidence-nothing more and nothing
less
The judge said. in closing: use
common sense and judgment as plain
ordinary every day business men"
Au,x,rDNAr