The sun., 1919-05-02
SIELCKEN ESTATE
SUED FOR $4,000
Woolson Spice Company Makes
Partner of "Coffee King"
Co-Defendant.
FORMED A SECRET POOL
Illegal Use Of Funds Of Con-
Germ Dominated by Ger
man Is Alleged.

An echo OF the famous attempt &c
corner the green coffee market made by
Hermann Sielcken. whose daring op-
erations earned him the title OF the
Coffee King" Is contained in papers
filed yesterday in Supreme Court by
which an action Is brought against his
estate. The Woolson spice Company
Of Toledo, Ohio. seeks to recover 1884,
600 from the executors OF Sielcken's es-
tate and from Thor!eif s. Z. Nelson
one OF Sfelcken's business partners and
associates in the combination which
later was dissolved by the Government
Sielcken, who came TO America from
Germany as poor immigrant boy
amassed fortune of several millions oil
dollars and spent much of his time In
Baden, Germany. where he Is reported
TO have died in 1917. He made frequent
business trips to America before the
outbreak Of the war. being n member
of the firm OF Crossman & Sielcken, at &C
Wall street. until September. 1917, wher
the State Department directed that he
should be dropped IL the firm would
avoid conflict with the trading with
the enemy act
Manipulated Coffee Prices.
That Sielcken had extensive connec.
lions elsewhere is shown by the COM
plant fled yesterday. which alleges thai
from 1910 and for several years there.
after, he was chairman OF the board o.
directors OF the Woolson Spice Company
and as such dominated the affairs of the
corporation. 1t Is alleged that in 1917
he was a member Of the secret poo
which was organized to control the
coffee eupply of the United States and
artifcially create O high market price
for tho commodity. Funds of the plain.
tin company. 1t is alleged. were used
In the financing of the pool, which was
engineered successfully until the Gov
eminent interviewed.
An investigation OF the combination,
operations led. in May, 1912, to a bill
in equity being filed in the United
States Court for the Southern District
of New York against Sielcken and hi,
associates. 1t was alleged that the poo
was in violation of acts Of Congress o!
1890, passed to protect trade and com.
merce against unlawful restraints ant
monopolies.
Lengthy litigation followed. In which
Il was revealed that there were ESQ.,.
600 sacks OF Brazilian coffee In New
York warehouses under the direct con
troll or members OF the pool. Sielcker
returned from Germany TO participate
in the fight. but the courts upheld the
Governments action and the pool wa,
ordered to release to its proper markets
the enormous surplus Of coffee pilet
up here.
This was done, the complaint alleges
and 23.691.296 pounds OF coffee wer,
disposed OF for s3,21S.666.14. TIL,
greater part Of this coffee was released
through the firm of Crossman & Sielcken
the complaint alleges, ind thereby
caused a loss OF ss31.520 to the Wool
son Spice Company through Sielcken',
manipulation.
Demand for this sum was made from
the executors Of Sielcken's estate. tn,
complaint states, but the claim was re
jected. Nelson is named as co-defend
ant because, II Is alleged, he was cogni
zant OF purchases made from the pool
which. II Is asserted, were greatly II
excess OF the legitimate needs Of IN,
business of Crossman q Sielcken, II
which he had a partnership.
Following the dissolution OF the firm
OF Crossman & Sielcken. It was reor
ganized by Nelson and John S. Soren
son into the firm Of Sorenson & Nelson
Sielcken's connection with the bushes.
being terminated.
The defendants have twenty days n
which 10 answer the allegations sc
forth In the complaint.