New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-02-19
STRUGGLED BONDS
IN A CIGAR BOX
Steamship Purser Arrested Under
Trading With Enemy Act

New York, Feb. 19.-For months
past, practically since the day that
congress declared war on Germany,
the government secret agencies have
been in possession of information
which show that Germans owning
American and other allied securities
were able to sell those securities in
this country, and when they did not
sell them to cash the coupons, the
money in practically every instance
found its way back into Germany, in
violation of the provisions of the
enemy trading act. Yesterday the
first arrest involving the alleged sale
OF these securities was made when
agents Of the military intelligence
service of the war department took
into custody Johannes Hendrix
Werkhoven, the assistant purser of
the Holland America liner Nieuw
Amsterdam, who, according to the
Federal authorities, had cashed the
coupons on approximately $1,000
600 worth Of bonds since last jan
Uary.
Werkhoven, who is held in s25, 900
bail for hearing before United
States Commissioner Hitchcock next
Monday, maintains that he bought
the coupons from a Hollander in
Rotterdam, and that there are no
Germans interested in the deal. On
the other hand. Assistant United
States District Attorney Ben. A. Mat
theWS, who is in charge of the case,
says that the government has infor-
nation which indicates that the cou-
pOns were German and that
the money realized on them was des-
tined for persons in Germany. The
total amount of American money
which is believed to have been taken
into Germany through various secret
channels since the United States en-
tered the war is believed to total
many millions of dollars.
Was Under Suspicion.
When the Nieuw Amsterdam ar
rived last week the vessel was sub
jected to a rigid inspection, which
took in every passenger and every
part Of the ship and cargo, but it was
not until within the last 4S hours
that the coupons brought over by
Werk hoven were discovered. The as
sistant purser was under suspicion
when the ship arrived, but repeated
inspections Of his room and office
failed to disclose the place where he
had hidden the coupons. AS 2 mat
ter Of fact the coupons, it was said
yesterday. were in a cigar box. which
the government inspectors overlooked
several times.
The complaint on which Werkhov-
en- was arrested was made by William
II. Randolph Of the military intelli-
Gence service, the specific charge be-
ing the attempt by Werkhoven 10 dis
~ 4 Of
the United Fruit Company. This bond
he is said to have offered for sale
to the banking house of Bolssevair &
GO. of "a Broad street. The total
Value Of the coupons brought over by
WerkhoVen, it was said last night
was about $1,000, which represents
the interest on about $4,000 worth
of bonds, most of them being I'm
peTlal japanese per cent. wal
bonds. Since January last Wcrl-
hoVen admits cashing in about $75.-
600 worth of coupons in New York.
On previous trip to the Nieuw AM
sterdam the coupons he cashed were
worth $4,000, and on another trip
cashed another batch for ST. 900
In his statement to the Federal
authorities yesterday WerkhoVen said
that the coupons had been delivered
to him in Rotterdam by a Hollander,
whose name he gave as Cornelius
Nederkoorn. He insisted thaS no
Germans were interested in the trai,s-
action statement which is not borne
out, it was officially stated, by infor-
nation now in the possession Of the
government 1t was reported that
this evidence is to the effect that tho
names in which the bonds concerned
are held are German names.