Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-15
STARTLING history OF EFFORTS
TO "GERMANIzE" AMERICA.
TOLD AT HEARING.
ANOTHER MAN MADE
EFFORT TO BUY WEAPONS
Huns Hoped to Start Something in
United States When Army Reached
Channel Ports-Arms Held in New
York Warehouse Now Can Not Be
located-ForridabIe List Reported

thousands of rifles had been secretly
imported from the krupp works at
Essen in order to "Germanize" the
United States, related Yesterday at an
inquiry conducted by State Attorney
General Lewis into rumors of boarding
of arms by German interests in the
United States. attracted new interest
Edgar A. Holmes of this city. a
witness, credited the reports to a
man named James H. Crossley.
Holmes as a broker, tried to buy
the rifles but was unsuccessful, he
said.
Large Number Imported.
During the negotiations. he said
Crossley told him that some 1900
600 rifles had been imported from Es-
sen, via the Hoboken docks of two
German steamship companies and We're
to be used in the United States if the
Germans were successful in reaching
the English CHANNEL ports.
Mr.. Holmes identified copy Of
a letter written June by himself Of
fering to sell 100000 Mausers and
100000 cartridges.
Mr.. Holmes testified he had never
seen the articles but had talked with
an engineer named Francis l.. judd.
who said he had seen boxes containing
100000 rifles. Two months ago,
Holmes said. the United States tried
to buy them but they were not pro-
duced Holmes had been in touch with
Cto$a off -: al tho
gotiations, he said.
In the New York Ware house.
Gustav Lussing was named by
Holmes as the man who was said
by various Intermediates to be- able
to deliver the goods. Judd told
Holmes the rifles had been in an
East Side warehouse in New York
and had been removed bat were with
in an automobile ride of an hour and
half from Broadway.
Charles II. Murray. hotel owner OF
Washington, D. c.. testified he had
heard Of the existence OF the rifles
thru a Russian agent. Ivan Norodny,
who claimed they had been taken to
an upstate New York farm and that
he had shot one of them himself
Norodny said Lussing had a farm
at Woodbury. Falls and that a party
OF German officers, including Capt
Hans Tauscher. had visited It after
dining ct the German Club in New
York.
Gives Formidable List.
Murray met Lussing ard was shown
an itemized statement Of the quan.
tity of rifles hidden as follows:
Four hundred and fifty thousand
Mauser guns. 25O,000000 cartridges,
100. 900 carbines, 1000 rounds cart
ridges 1000, 300 rifles and 600 machine
guns.
Lussing. according to the witness,
said they were stored in forty differ
ent places in the United States.
Robert T Tucker, a tanner Of
Charleston. S. c., testified Of hearins
Of the rifles thru his acquaintance
with Russians in business Judd told
Tucker, he said. he had seen cannon
and rifles at a warehouse IN Brook
lyn According TO the witness a New
York lawyer finally told him the rifles
had been sold.
az am thoroughly convinced that
the rifles are in this country and that
Lussing knows where they are said
Tucker at the close of his examina-
ton.
Lawyer Was SkepticaI.
Hartford T. Marshall a New YORK
lawyer, testified that Lussing had
told him the owners Of the rifles were
German Americans who would not
reveal their names because Of fear OF
endangering their regulations. Mar
shall sought TO buy rifles from Lus-