Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-06-13
u. S. OFFICIALS
THWART BIC PLOT
Two Army Officers, Millionaire
and Greek, Indicted for
Alleged Fraud.
$40, 100000 IS INVOLVED
Department of Justice Agents Arrest
Men Who Are Said to Have
Planned to Sell Munitions to
Enemy Nations.

Delroll, Mich, June 9.-Depart-
ment of justice officials in Detroit,
working under the direction of the Ar
thur L. Barkey, chief of the bureau,
have nipped an alleged plot to defraud
the government out of $3O,OO0,OOO
worth of munition supplies which were
to be disposed of abroad, presumably
to the militaristic group in Germany.
Secret indictments, charging con-
spiracy, have been returned by the
United States grand jury against;
Capt. Soterios Nicholson of Wash
ington, disbursing officer and financial
manager of the ordnance department.
U. S. A.
Grant Hugh Browne, millionaire
sporting and race track owner, promi-
nently known in this city through his
connection with the DevOnshire race
track in, Windsor
Fred c. Collins, vice consul of
Greece and president of the Mer-
chants Realty company of this city.
A major in the United States army,
| now in France.
Men Held at Army Fort.
The men under arrest are being held
| for trial at Fort Wayne.
Nicholson and Browne were arrest
ed at the Hotel Statler.
| Bert Harris, wealthy junk dealer of
New York, also implicated in the
plot, was lured to this city by officers
Of the department of justice and was
arrested in the Statler hotel. He will
be arraigned before the grand jury
| Tuesday.
Browne is said by Mr.. Barkey to be
the instigator of the conspiracy.
It was agreed that bids would be
made on munitions which the govern
n2ent was to salvage in Detroit, and
that all bids excepting those sent in
by the clique would be rejected.
Army Officer SIeuth.
A young army officer in the ord
nance department discovered the al
legged scheme and notified the depart
ment of justice. He was instructed to
gain the confidence of the supposed
plotters, which he did, and so far as
they knew he was one of them.
Mr.. Barkey put operatives on the
case, and after two months of work
they made the arrests.
Last week bids were submitted on
100000 worth of munitions. Browne
was the highest bidder and the gov
ernment awarded him the contract It
was intended it is alleged, to ship this
\ material, which was mostly ammuni-
ton stock, TO Mexico, and thence to
Germany.
Money Was Divided.
Thursday Nicholson went to Roches-
ter. N, Y, followed by operatives.
There he met Browne and Harris.
The operatives say Browne passed So
900 to Nicholson as his share of the
profits, and from this Nicholson is
said to have given the young army of
6cer who was working with the de-
partment of justice officers, $1,000
Each of them then is said TO have
made up a purse of 81 900 by donating
$500 each, which was given to Collins
for the use of his name as one of the
bidders.
When arrested at the Statler, $1,000
was found on Nicholson.
1t is averred that the munitions were
to be resold to German agents in Mex
leo City at large profit. These
agents, government official say, were
J eventually to go to Germany to assis
) the kaiser's supporters in overthrow
Ing the republic or for use against thu
allies in the event the Germans refuse
to sign the peace treaty.
Inquiry Made at Chicago.
Washington, June 9.-Indictment O
army officers and business men at De
troit was the first step by the depart
, ment of justice and army intelligence
service, it was said here in campaign
against alleged authors of fraudulen
: plots in the government in connection
with the munitions supplies.
Chicago, Pittsburgh and Bostol
we're among the cities mentioned her
: as being other centers of the investi
Il cation.