New-York tribune., 1918-02-06
Rintelen Is
Found Guilty
OF Bomb Plot
len Other Germans Are
Convicted at the Same
Time

American spy battery, and ten other
Germans, minor coE's in the Tcutou
secret service system. were convicted
yesterday by q jury in Fedora! Judge
Howe's court Of conspirinc to destroy
the British frcightcr Kirk Oswald by
the use Of bombs. Each was sentenced
to eighteen months hard labor in the
Atlanta Federal Prison and to nay a
fine of $4,000 and costs. The jury de-
liberated two ard half hours before
bringing in its verdict.
Most OF the men convicted, to whose
hands the government lays most Of the
mysterious fires which have destroyed
numerous Allied vessels, are already
under sentences for completely in Other
plots. Rintelen, now serving a one.
year term in the Westchester County
Jail, will begin an eighteen months
term Tor fomcnting strikes in mum.
tions plants as soon as his present sen.
tcnce expires. 1t will be the spring 81
1921 before he car begin to serve the
sentence imposed yesterday. Before
that the government expects to obtain
indictments against him on several
other charges which. if sustained, will
add years to his stay in Jail.
Despite the long imprisonment whicl,
faces Rintclen, Judge Howe expressed
regret that, under the law, he could
impose no moro severe punishment
upon him and his fellow conspirators.
Duni al anArt Inobouu.to
Such sentence" he said, "as
have imposed was intended by Con-
gress to punish shippers Of explosives
who failed to notify common carriers
OF the nature Of their shipments. Con-
gress clearly had no such cases as
these in mind when the law was made
The court regrets that under these cir.
cumstances it has not power to metc
out adequate punishment"
Rintelen, blood relative of the Kaiser
companion of princes and millionaire
IN his own right, stood at attention
calm and composed, as sentence was
pronounced. He WINGED, however
when Judge Howe said that in III
opinion death would not be too severe
o punishment. e
= List Of Those Convicted -
Besides Rintclcn those convicted
pert, former superintendent Of the
Atlas Line pier; Charles Won Kleist
former sea captain and assistant ia
DR.. Walter T. Scheclc, The Hobokcr
chemist at whose laboratory the bombs
! are sach to have been made; Ernst
Becker, electrician Of the interncd
liner Friedrich der Crosse; Wilhelm,
karbadc, Wilhelm Barades and George
Praedel, assistant engineers Of the
Friedrich der Crosse; Eugene Reister
ftlmcr manager Of the Turn Vercin
9. the Brooklyn Labor Lyceum; Wal.
ter udhc, a German photographer and
bomb placer; Bonford Boniface, q mes.
senger for the others. and Peter zcf-
f.rt. an American citizen and handy
man or Office boy for the group. In.
d;eted at the same time, but not located
By the government officers. were: CAP.
tain Emo Bode, DIR. Karl Schimmel
Captain Gustav Steinberg and DR.
Scheele. Another defendant, Karl
Schmidt. was found not guilty on Fri
day last.
Wolpcrt. regarded by the govern.
nlent as "one OF the ten most dan;
Is such two hours after the United
States declared war, pleaded for elem
ency on the ground that his previous
record had always hecn high" Boni.
face, who is suffering from tubercu.
losis, asked Judge Howe, through his
counsel, for special consideration or
account of his intirmity.
Improper surroundings might be
fatal to my Client" the lawyer pointed
out
"The prison authorities will undoubt.
edly be glad to take care Of that" re.
piled the court.
Zeffert made an Intellectual appeal
for clemency because he "has not q
drop Of German blood in his system
being "American through and through
His Crime Aggravated
OF anything could possibly aggravate
Your crime, it is the fact that you arc
d born citizen Of the United States.
replied the court. Zeppert. however
being the only defendant against whom
no other sentence is in effect, applied
TOY bail, which was set at $4,000. Zef.
fert. who is under indictment in an
other bomb plot case, has already pro.
vided $4,000 bail.
Following the conviction of the de-
PENDANTS, Judge Howe made a state
ment defending counsel who appeared
foY them.
There is feeling that no lawyet
should have taken the cases Of these
defendants" he said. "The court de.
sires to say that such criticism is en-.
tirely without merit. Counsel should
not be criticised in the least for ap.
pearing in this case. 1t is the sacred
constitutional right OF all persons
whatever crime they are charged with,
to have the benefit Of counsel in their
defence. 1t is the proud right and
Privilege OF members Of the American
bar to defend persons. whatever the
charge. however grave the offence Nnd
whether in time Of peace OF war"
The trial began eleven days ago.
Testimony introduced by the govern
ment showed that leadcn ubes. contain
ing innammable chemicals, found on
board the Kirkoswald were similar 10
tubes made by the defendants. karbade
! Pa.ades and Praedel. aboard the Fried
.ich der Crosse. Wolpert, Won Kleist
and others of the defendants, it was
shown, had assisted in distributing the
bombs. Rintelen, according to the evil
dence adduced, had sought men to place
bombs in liners and bridges, and the
government maintained that he had
directed and financed the activities o:
, his co-defendants.
II I4E.YWOOD BROUN