Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-05-16
WITNESSES TELL
Of GERMAN GUNS
L STORED IN i. S.
New York Prosecutor Told of
Revolt Plot.
TO FOLLOW HUN VICTORY
Million Rifles, Many Cannon and
Large Amount of Ammunition Re-
ported Stored at Forty
Places.

New York, May 15-RepOrts that
thousands or rifles had been secretly
imported from the Krupp works at
Essen in order to "GermaniZe" the
United States were related at the In
Quiry conducted by State Attorney
General Lewis into rumOrs Of hoard
Ing Of arms by German interests in
the United States.
100000 Guns Sent.
Edgar A. Holmes OF this city, a wit
ness. credited the reports to man
named James H. Crossley. Holmes
as a broker. tried TO buy the rifles,
but was unsuccessful. he said. During
the negotiations, he said. CrOssley told
him that some 100000 rifles had been
imported from Essen by way OF the
HObOken docks Of twO German steam
ship companies and were to be used
In the United States If the Germans
were successful In reaching the Eng
lish channel ports.
Mr. Holmes Identified copy OF q
letter written by himself Offering to
sell 100000 Mausers and l,0OO.00O
was addressed TO DR.. Thomas Darling
ton Of New York. former health com
missioner.
In Touch With U. S. Officials.
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 2SO.-
LII.
said. the United States tried to buy
them. but they were not produced.
Holmes had been in touch with United
States officials throughout the negOtia
tiOns, he said.
Gustaye 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, but were within an automo-
bile ride OF an hour and a half from
Broadway.
Told of Guns by Russian.
Charles II. Murray, Il hotel owner of
Washington, d. c., testified he had
heard of the existence of the rifles
through a Russian agent, Ivan NOrOd-
ny, 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 farm at
Woodbury. Falls and that a party Of
German officers, including Capt. Hans
TauScher had visited Ii after dining
at the German club in New York.
Through NorOdny. Murray met Lussing
and WAS shown an itemiZvd statement
OF the quantity of rifles hidden as fol-
lows: 10000 Mauser guns, 10000
600 cartridges, 100000 carbines. 1000
rounds cartridges, 100000 rifles and
so machine guns.
Guns Stored in Forty Places.
Lussing, according tn the witness,
said they were stored in 40 places In
the United States. Robert T. Tucker,
tanner of Charleston. s. c., testified
OF hearing of the rifles through his ac-
Quaintance with Russians in business.
Judd told Tucker, he said, he had seen
cannon and rifles at n warehouse in
Brooklyn. According TO the witness
New York lawyer finally told him
the rifles had been sold.
II am thoroughly convinced. that
those rifles are In this country and
that Lussing knows where they are, "
said Tucker at the close of his exam
ination.
William II. Ford, attorney for Lus-
sing, testified that he did not believe
the rifles existed now because Lussing
had received no answer from his pTin-
ctpals in regard TO an offer for the
rifles made in behalf of the United
States government by Maj. Nicholas
Biddle of the army intelligence bureau
two months ago.
Lussing had never told who his prin-
cipals were, Ford said, and he had
concluded the owners were "Philadel-
phia parties" and that the rifles were
In that city.
II had always believed these guns
existed" said Ford. but never heard
until this hearing that they had beer
smugged from Germany. had always
supposed they were made by Ameri
cans"
Ford testified that he and Lussins
expected to divide 100000 profits or
the sale of S7SoOO,OOO worth of rifles
and cartridges. The lawyer added thai
his client had a farM In New Jersey
and had been interested in monorai
apd coke oven DrOiecfS