Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-06-16

Attempt Made to Find Rea-
son for Machine Gums On
Boat Going to Ireland Il
(By The Associated Presa,,

New York, June 16.-An sinvesttgAe
ton was under way today to- deter
mine how and why more than ftve
hundred modern machine guns, with
hundreds Of spare parts were placed
on board the steamer Eastxide whf1D
at her pier In Hoboken awaiting a.
parture for an Irish port Od1eaalBsoG
the customs service. the department
Of justice and the United States ship
ping board began checking up on the
facts In an effort to discover to whom
the weapons were intended to 10
shtppedi and who caused them to 10
placed On board the vessel.
The arms were seized yesterday BY
United States customs officials, and
government agents expressed the be-
lief they. were destined for Ireland.
Subsequently they were taken from
the customs officials who were pre-
pairing to cart them away, by HObOk~S
en- police who acted under a search;
warrant sworn out by Frank Wni-
iams who said the guns had been
stolen from him. The investigators
Williams in an effort to determine
how he came into possession Of the
arms.
New York, June 1E.-More than SEQ
modern machine guns with hundreds
OF spare parts, suspected by govern
ment officials to have been destined
for Ireland, were seized here today
by United States customs officials.
The arms, found aboard the Amer
lean steamship East Side, were taken
from the customs men as they were
being carted away from the piers by
Hoboken police. acting on a search
and seizure warrant sworn out by .
man giving the name of Frank VIII
liams, who alleged the guns had been
stolen from him on June IL. No. ta-
formation identifying Williams W1s
available At police headquarters e4-
cept that he was reaident of Hoho-
ken.
The arms were taken to police
headquarters at Hoboken and win be
held pending a hearing before the
recorder to determine who is ent1tled
to their custody.
According to reports reaching gov
;ernment agencies, two changes Of
crews, brought about BY the nation
wide marine strike, resuited in ,itcov.
cry OF the arms. It is reported th4t q
member Of ono Of the crews tipped
ogg" the government investigators.
Owner of Ship Ignorant Of 1laknn
Presence OF. the arms ON board the
East Side was not known to tho own
er Of the ship. the United States 4ahdp-
ping board or it's managing operatoFs,
until they were informed OF their ils-
eoverB-sby federal investigators. The
East Side cleared today Tor Norfolk
where, according to Chief Of Police
Hayes Of Hoboken, she was to take .
cargo Of coal for port in Ireland.
One report Is that they were .enn9.
gled aboard from launches witch
came up to the ships side atssmiEht
and the arms, swathed in burlapftagz
were hoisted aboard as ''engine room
supplies" A curious member OF the
crew cut into one of these bags wfn
his knife, disclocing 4 machine gun.
Government officials would make
no official statements on the matter
pending conclusion of the investiga-
to have been made on the ground
that shipment Of arme was being
attempted without compliance with
maritime regulations which call for
nlanifesting all exports.
Consignment Was Large
A description of the seized arms
and parts was made by Williams In
his application for the warrant, incfud-
ed 600 Thompson sub-machine guns:
thirty extra thirty-capacity magazines:
five fifty-capacity drum magazines:
five one hundred capacity drum mag
azines: 80 extra thirty-capacity box
magazines; ~ 1l1ty-capaclty drum
magazines; 20 one hundred-capacity
magazines, and hundreds of parts Of
machine guns.
When the police officers went to
the pier to serve the warrant, they
were informed by the pier superin-
tendent, Chief of Police Hayes said,
that the goods had already been re-
moved by the customs authorities. A
search of the pier was made, howev-
er. and the officers reported to the
chief that they found the arms loaded
on truck. A verbal clash between
police and customs officials followed,
which was settled by the customs man
in charge agreeing that the arms
should be taken to the police station
and held there, pending judicial deter