Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-06
(ContirIe1 from gage y

on iis merits. without any disposition
to '-ticE' tine par.
Assured that Mr. Preston did not in
tend ~ pres til" case If II" were cor
WINGED that no vronC-dOlnE had been
Intended and that ~" violation q tho
at Was not spr!OUs. f,ans Uer. set
afOOt al once to place before Mr. Pros
ton every scrap Of c1itenr" that r"H!d
be secured by the defense
II j. stated that District Attorney
Huber CUOpcratod in IiaWaN Nth v hat
tn" san Francisco prca"rHtOr was DO,
Ing Part Of the WORK consisted in
collecting all the BOOKS and papers
here and in Hi!o bearing on the ,Ieal,
ings Of HarKfpld & GO. with he Nav
eric and sending them TO San Fran.
CISCO
klebahn Summoned as Witness
: 1t was ct this point that tie govern.
ment subpoenaed F. ". KIebahn.
MANAGE Of the shipping department
OF HackfeId & CO., as a gov eminent
witness. His departure for San Fran
cisco with the bookS and documents
showing the Maverick transactions
wa part Of the results of the effort
to show Mr.. Preston that neither the
defendants nor HaCk1eld & Co. had
cOnnivCd at a violation OF the neutral.
ity law.
With these books and documents
before him, it is stated that District
Attorney Preston was able to confirm
the statements made on behalf Of the
defendants. His acceptance OF the
plea of guilty to the technical violation
Of law followed.
Fine May Be Imposed.
While nothing is known here as to
what sentence will he meted out to the
defendants, one report which received
credence today is that they will he
fined, but that no prison sentence is
likely TO be given.
The statement to the court was
made through their attorneys, Sulli-
van q Roche. 1t is as follows in full:
While constrained under the exist.
ing extraordinary conditions to the en-
try Of plea of guilty in behalf Of the
defendants, George Rodick and H. A.
Schroeder, Of violation of one of the
neutrality laws Of the United States,
it is but fair not only to the American
citizens of the Hawaiian islands,
among whom they have lived and Ia
bored so long, but to themselves as
we'll, that the circumstances which
prompt such action on their part be
stated.
$50 far as these two defendants are
concerned. the matters charged in the
indictment occurred long prior to any
state Of actual or declared war be.
tween the United States and Germany,
and during a time when a bitter and
relentless war was being waged be-
tween Great Britain and Germany.
THE transactions, because of which
these two defendants found them
selves involved in this indictment,
which consisted exclusively In arrans.
inc for the furnishing Of provisions
and money to the steamer Maverick
while at HiIo and the Transmission to
her master Of sailing orders previous
Iy communicated to them, took place
during the months of April and May,
1915, and were regarded by them as
purely commercial In character, in.
volying no breach of any obligation
due from either of them to the gov
eminent of the United States.
Neither of these two defendants
at thes time these transactions occur.
red was cognizant of the fact that in
participating therein he was violating
any law of the United States.
"Twenty-seven years ago Mr..