The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-06
Judge Harland B. Howe I'm
mediately Sentenced Plot
ter to the Penitentiary
1S-MONTHS' TERM,
AND FINE OF $4,000
Ten Other Co-Defendants, All Germans,
Also Convicted Of Scheming to De-
stroy Munition and Food Ships of the
Entente Allies.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6.-Franz Rim
telen, German agent, and 10 co-defend-
ants, all Germans, were found guilty
yesterday by federal jury of conspir-
ing to destroy munitions and food ships
of the entente allies,
Judge Harland B. Howe OF Vermont
Immediately imposed the maximum
penalty of lS-months Imprisonment in
the federal penitentiary at Atlanta and
a fine of $4,000 on each of the prison
ers.
Pleas of lack of proof, sickness,
recent marriage and ignorance of the
laws of this country Judge Howe
said, Twill not influence this court IN
imposing sentence. These men have
been found guilty by an impartial jury
OF American citizens and the crime
calls for the severest penalty. | re
greet that 1t is not more severe
In instances where the defendants
are now serving sentences under pre-
vious convictions, the present penalty
will take effect when the terms of the
first punishment expires This applies
to Won Rintelen, who was convicted
last spring of conspiracy to cause
strikes IN munitions plants, and was
given two years and six months at At
lanta.
Others convicted yesterday are:
Capt. Otto Wolpert, former superin-
tendent of the Atlas line pier, which
was operated by the Hamburg Ameri.
can steamship company; Karl Won
klelst, formerly sea captain aud an
American citizen, was a partner of DR.
Walter p. Scheele in the latter s chem.
| zeal plant in Hoboken, Ernst Becker
| an electrician on the North German
LLOYD steamer Friedrich der Crosse
Frederick Wilhelm Karbade, Wilhelm
Parades and George Praedel, assistan,
engineers on the Friedrich der Crosse
Eugene Reister, assistant manager of
| the labor lveeum in BROOKLYN; Wal
ter Lhde, a German, and Bonford Bon.
/ face and Joseph Zetfert, American citi
| 2cns
The government charged specifically
that the defendants plotted to sec1etc
| bombs IN bags of sugar in the cars.
OF the steamship Kirk Oswald, wnifl
caught lire during voyage from thC
| = nlted States to France in Nav, 1918
The alleged conspiracy involved altr
the shipment OF bombs to the Pacif,
coast TO be placed on vessels sailing
for the Orient. In all 33 ships valued
at more than $4,00o,000 were said L
have been damaged or DESTROYED b,
fire bombs declared by the government
! m Nv Iafa x1,,
Sixteen men were named in the in
dlctment. Karl Schmidt, who was CHIEF
engineer of the former Friedrich de-
crosse, on which the bombs were pur
ported to have been made, was freed
by the jury last week, the court hold
ing the evidence against him was in
| suhclent. These four men eluded ar
rest: DR.. Walter T. Seheele, head O,
the New Jersey agricultural and chem
zeal company; Capt. Emo Bode, marin,
superintendent of the Hamburg Ameri
can line; Karl Sehimmel and Can't
Sternberg. The last two named EN-
pioyed other men, the government al
leges, to place bombs on ships. The de
PENDANTS were characterized as "mur
derers at heart by United States AS
slstant District Attorney James W. o.
borne, il.
These men Were willing to strik,
neutral IN the back in order to prov
loyalty to the fatherland,' he said
Let US assume that the German gov
eminent knew nothing about the bio.
but the fact remains that these con
splrators planned this dastardl
crime.
Mr.. Osborne asserted that Rintele,
mad opened bank account for 1903
700 IN an international bank, indicat
ing existence of fund for the con
spiracy.
Judge Howe in his charge to tn
jury, alluded to the point brought u
by the defense that the Kirk Oswald
was not within the waters of this fed
eral district at the time the bomb
were placed on board If the iur
found this point to be well taken h
sald the verdict should be one of no
guilty for want of jurisdiction.