The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-10
PROMINENT MEN AID
RUMELY'S DEFENCE
Charles Nagel, Formerly in
Taft Cabinet, Says Sielcken's
Money Bought Mail
METZ IS WITNESS ALSO
James A. Patten, Chicago
Wheat Broker, Tells Of De-
PENDANTS Borrowings.

Men prominent in business and public
life testified yesterday in the defence
Of DR.. Edward A. Rumely. who is on
trial before Judge William ]. Grub IL
the United States District Court on a
charge Of conspiring to withhold from
the Alien Property Custodian insorma-
ton Of the alleged German ownership OF
the Evening Mail Among these was
Charles Nagel. who served in President
Tafts Cabinet as Secretary Of Com.
MERGE and Labor. He testified that the
money used In the purchase OF the news
paper was advanced by Herman
Sielcken, millionaire American coffee
merchant who lived In Germany.
Mr.. Nagel said that Dr. Heinrich AL.
bert, German fiscal agent here, who, II
Is said. advanced s750,000 to DR.
Rumely as agent for Sielcken. had told
him that he had no control over the
| newspaper. The witness said he first
| met DR.. Rumely In Chicago, where the
DEFENDANT told him of his plan TO &C.
quire a newspaper in New York thai
would be unbiased in its publication o,
war news. DR.. Rumely explained to him
then OF Germany's advanced Industrial
and agricultural policies. saying he in.
tended to play up the high ideals In the
German methods.
AT the time of his meetings with DR.
Rumely. Mr.. Nagel said he was aetna
as executor Of the estate of Adolphus
Busch. the brewer, and that the de.
PENDANT was anxious to interest Mrs
Busch In the purchase of stock In the
newspaper. Mrs. Busch was then abroad
destined H.
ner about the plan at Dr. Rumely's
request. he said, but the letters never
reached her.
During the afternoon session of this
trial some of the witnesses who testi.
ned included Herman A. Metz, James
A. Patten. Chicago wheat broker; A.
Stratton. president OF the Commerce Ac-
ceptance Trust Of Chicago. and william,
T. Ahnelt, president Of the Pictorial Re-
vieto company. They corroborated IN
part DR.. Rumely's activities In obtain
ing small loans from them to carry on
the publication of the Evening Mail.
Mr.. Ahnelt related DR.. Rumelys diff
Guilty in his undertaking and in order
to help him purchased $4,000 of stock Ia
the EUeni1,0 Maj.
Later on DIR. Rumely tried to induce
me to buy 100000 worth of stock" he
said. II did not buy II but the Pictorial
Revteto advanced DR.. Rumely $50. 900. u
Mr. Ahnelt served as member Of the
board of directors of the Evening Mai
during 1915 and 1915. He was only a
financial adviser. he said, and never dis
cussed the editorial policy OF the paper.
When cross-examined by Harold Har-
per. United States District Attorney
Ahnelt was asked II he was pro-Ally
during the war.
YES" he answered. my sympathiei
were for the Allies. but my heart was
for the Fatherland."
During the cross-examination of DR.
Rumely yesterday morning the name RI
Henry Ford was mentioned. DR.. Rune
ly In his testimony. denied telling Mr.
Ford in 1913 that Government agents
had charged he received German money
for the purchase of the newspaper.
The prosecution will call several wit.
nesses In rebuttal. one OF whom will be
Mrs. Herman Selcken, widow OF the
American coffee merchant who. the de-
fence contends. advanced the money used
in the purchase of the Evening Mail.