New-York tribune., 1918-10-24
Washington Is Investiea,.
ing Stock Transfers of
$4,OO0,00O Concern
Was Founded by
Germans Money
Prominent Democrats Are
on Board of Directors,
Records Show

pany, leaving control Of the $4,000 y0M
plant in the hands of .tne Liberty Ord.
nance Company, of which Homer :
Cummings, of Stamford, Conn. acsips
chairman of the Democratic Nation.i
Committee, is director and counsel
Yesterday Frank P. Garvan, in cbsrvs
of the New York bureau nf Mr. pa
mer's Office, let it be known that the
seizure of the stock is expected to hs
followed by action looking toward til.
seizure of the plant itself.
"All the papers in the case have hee,
sent to Washington Mr.. Garvan said
come from there"
Rental Is Being Held Up
Meantime it is known that fhs
100000 a year rental the government
had obligated itself to pay the putstive
owners of the property is being hel6
up, and an investigation is being con
Quoted into the affairs not only of the
Bridgeport Projectile Company but o.
the Liberty Ordnance Company as well
The personnel of both corporations.
as shown by the records in the Office
of Bridgeport's Town Clerk. are prac-
tically the same. In both as officers
and stockholders appear the names OF
Archibald Mcneil, jr.. and Kenneth ".
McNeill, sons of Archibald McNeill, the
Democratic leader of Bridgeport, and
employees of other companies in which
they are interested
Only one name that was promnen.
in the public records of the Bridgepor.
Projectile Company when it was pub
licly described as a German war
bride is missing from the list of Oh
| flcers of the new company. The name
| is that of Carl Heyman, the German
plotter now in q Southern prison camp
just how the property ceased to be
German by the creation of new cor
roration to own it is one Of the many
mysteries the war has brought to
Bridgeport. 1t was mystery TO which
open records give no clew, and members
of the McNeill family, who do not deny
their interest in either company, have
refused to lift the veil.
The facts in possession of the Alien
Enemy Custodjan's Office show that
This change of ownership was sought
to be accomplished by an apparent
settlement with George W Roadley
Of his claim against the German gov
crnment, by which he obtained title to
the stock since seized and the prop
erty 1T represented. Hoadley, With
the McNeiIls. was the chief organizer
Of the Bridgeport Projectile Company
when it was formed in 1915.
AS part Of the plan substantially sl
of the stock of the company was to be-
come the property of Hoadley When
the contract for shells and other ma
terials was completed. In the board
nr NJ
peared the names of " alter H. knight.
q close friend OF the McNeill family:
Archibald McNeilI, jr.. A. D. Tappan
son-lnlaw OF Hoadley, and Heynen
Heynen acted as treasurer of the com
pany and Tappan was its secretary,
For a time Archibald Mcneil, jr., was
vice-president.
This state Of affairs continued until
about the time the United States en-
tered into the war. Heynen then dis
appeared by way Of the Department Of
Justice route, and the affairs Of the
company We're, so far as the public
knew, dormant
The concern came into the limelight
again in the fall of 1917, six months
after the United States entered the
war. Then the Liberty Ordinance Com
Iany was formed, and II was an
nounced that il had secured large
contract for shells for the United
States navy. How 1t secured title tc
the property it was operating was no'
made clear. It did, however. file IN
corporation papers and its corporstf
company was formed bv the paying N
OF 5000 in cash and $3 ,999 500 in prop
ertv.
The officers as then recorded were
Kenneth W. Mcneil. president; A. Nv
Tappen. treasurer, and Archibald NC
Neil, il, secretary. Kenneth Mcneil
according to this record received
25,0oe shares of preferred stock anc
all but two shares Of the common
These two shares. the record shows
we're held by Archibald Mcneil, jr, ano
Arthur i. Rutland. a confidential en-
ploye Of the McNeils
McNeiis Are Directors
subsequently the McNeils, Eulaaa.
Willis ]. Townes. also an officer OF tns
other Mcneil corporations. and Honei
5. Cummings appeared a. directors
They We're directing the COMPANY
affairs when the Navy Department tooA
over the fuliilment Of its contrath
and placed the plant in the hands o.
the American Car Company as Is
agent. So far as the public recoros
show they still constitute me boar
with Mr. Cummings, accord ny to Arel
lbald Mcneil, jr., serving the oompa''
as counsel
Mr.. Cummings" he told Tribune
reporter. "has long been All intimaN
friend Of the family. AS lawyer n
has u perfect right TO represent '"'
company.
"ThcTe is he went on. nothing =
the discLs ssiCa of the ownership Of |ns
plant but Io.itics. We took title fros
Mr.. Fcacley. He got preferred stoo,
i'll the new company for il. | DO ~, ~
know where he got his title and "
not care A., that / know about J. !. !.
that How did he get it? Ihat =
what A. Mitchell Palmer and his delee
tives have been trying to find ou, lOs
months The Germans may have gre.
IT to him. They had d perfect rlghl ~
give it to him before we went into '"'
war, didn't they?
'I never bothered him to ind o.
where he got the title. | know tina. n
had it. and that is all | ever cared.
According 20 government oihe.s'
familiar with the case, 1t was not ui.'D
recently that Mr.. Palmer's bureau Dc
came interested in Hoadley's title. lhi
curiosity. it is understood, develotp.s'
in the course of an examination Of ~
I Hcadley. the seizure of the stock ',
the Bridgeport Project Compsh'
following his testimony. =.
Archibald Mcneil, ST., is one OF ~
best known Democrats in New Eas
land. In 1908 he was candidates, e. ~
second place on the ticket with VIZ
lam Jennings Bryan, whose intlna., Tina,
| friend he has haen Since the free sllst'