The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-17
u. s. FREED BUENZ
|. BEFORE HIS DEATH
President COMMITTED Sentence
on Getting Report Of
Serious Illness.
END WAS UNEXPECTED
Body of Former Director OF
Hamburg Line Will Be
Brought Here.

DR.. Karl Buenz. former managing d.
rector in New York Of the Hamburg
American Line. who died In the Federai
penitentiary at Atlanta Sunday after
noon, was not convict when death
came, II was revealed last night. lie
had been theoretically free for two days.
President Wilson commuted his sentence
80 as to have It expire at once on FRI
day.
Buenz entered the prison April % az
ter Judge Harland b. Howe In the
United States District Court had &C.
creed that he could no longer evade serv-
ing the eighteen months OF imprison-
nient imposed after his conviction with
others of the Hamburg Amer.can Line
for sending supplies to German raiders
at sea while the United States was
, neutral. Buenz successfully fought on
Imprisonment for two years. Several
musicians testified that confinement
would kill him. He was II years old
and afflicted by several diseases that
had become chronic.
Buenz journeyed from New York In a
compartment Of Pullman car, accom-,
panied by Karl Hemple, a valet, who had
been with him for years. and two
deputy United States Marshals.
Statement ON Case.
The Department Of Justice yester-
day issued from Washington state
snent about the Imprisonment OF Buenx.
1t said:
Before moving to commit Buenz the
Attorney General had two reputable
physicians of New York city report
upon his physical condition. Judge
Howe considered in open court the
question of his physical condition and
decided not only to refuse to recon-
mend that the defendant be granted a
respite and Communication but TO recon-
mend the execution of the sentence.
"Buenz during the hearing before
Judge Howe in letter dated April u
1917. to former Judge w. ID. Noyes OF
New York city, his counsel. submitted a
statement to be read in open court. de-
claring that he was entirely prepared
and willing to go to Atlanta to serve
his term and instructed his counsel tc
DO declare.
During the period Of Buenz's con-
6nement the Attorney General received
many reports from the prison physician
at Atlanta as to his condition.
ION September 4 the warden OF the
prison informed the Attorney-Genera
fhat the prison physician advised that
Buenz appeared extremely weak and
spoke with great difficulty. but he at
fributed this to temporary conditions
which he believed could be entirely over
come within few days.
"TSe warden stated further that the
prisoner had lost over twenty pounds ir
1t
Tertiary. but that was not necessaril,
detrimental; that the high blood pres
sure from which he suffered upon arriva
had substantially improved and tina
were 1t not for his advanced age and
the depression naturally caused by con
fnement the prisoner was no doubt a!
well OF at the prison as he would be a
any other place.
ION September 10 the warden wire,
that the physician that day reported thu
condition OF Buenz to be serious. Step
were at once taken for the release o
Buenz."
Buenz Gave Dinner Parties.
At the hearing before Judge Howe wit
nesses supporting the application for
respite and Communication admitted tia
Buenz had been accustomed to dali,
N,
attending OF small dinner parties and I
taking short walks near his home. a
apartment in what used TO be the Ger
man Club, in Central Park South.
Testimony was also drawn from a re
iuctant witness. Hemple. the valet. tina
Buenz several days before the hearin
had been driven to the store OF an duc
tioneer in Fourth avenue near Twenty
fourth street. where he made arrange
fnr ha 10 nf ha ftrn WI In
had been in his apartment.
Buenz was convicted December
1915! The indictment on which he wa
tried accused him of conspiring wit
others against the United States by max
ing out false clearance papers and falls
manifests for the collectors of custom
for voyages made by the STEAMSHIP
Fran. Somerstad. Lorenzo and Berwin
TO supply the German cruiser Karlsruh
and the auxiliary cruiser Kaiser WI
helm der Crosse with coal and provisions
DR. Buenz had long career In tn
German civil and diplomatic servic,
He had the friendship of the Kaiser an
his appointment to the important pos
Of managing director of the Hamburg
American line here in 1912 was attrit
uted to the goodwill of the Emperor.
Began ms Lawyer.
BuenZ began MS career as laWye
He was judge in a court of Scheswis
Holstein from 1863 to 1876. The sue
cessive steps of his progress upward 70
low: Mayor of a town in Germany, a
tache of the German Consulate Genera
at New York Minister to Haiti, Germa
Consul at Chicago. head OF the Germa
commission at the Chicago Worlds Fai
Consul General at New York. Minstt
TO Mexico. German commissioner
The Hague tribunals inquiry into II
Venezuela question. member OF the IL
ternational board which Administered
part OF the Turkish revenues. Hamburg
American Line head at New York.
Buenz was born in Marine, Hollan
He left no relatives In the United State
When his condition became serious
Atlanta he directed that his property
this country be turned over to frient
In New York
julius P.-Meyer OF 755 Park avenu
former assistant general director OF Il
neutrality-suspicious. Line, said last nigl
that he had made arrangements to ha'
the body of DR.. Buenz shipped to tn
ait lat in, he