South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-06-18
j. S. WILLPR0BE
FINDING OF ARMS
Asst. Atty. Gen. Gross Takes
Charge of Investigation
for Government.

BY Associated Press:
NEW YORK. June IL Assistant
United States Attorney General Isaac
Gross Friday night asserted that cir
cumstances surrounding discovery Of
nearly 500 machine guns aboard the
steamer East Side at Hoboken last
Tuesday indicated that they were in
tended for use against a friendly ma
ton and that, therefore. their pres
ence was unlawful.
Mr.. Gross. by direction OF AttOr-
ney General Daugherty. Friday as
sumed charge of the investigation
now being conducted by three fed
eral agencies into ownership of the
munitions aboard the steamer. Re
ports had reached government
agents that the arms were intended
for delivery in ireland.
Mr.. Gross said a careful investi-
cation would be made OF all circum-
stances connected with the discovery
and if the facts warranted. they
would be put before the proper tri-
bunaL
Work on Case.
Besides agents of the department
Of justice. investigators OF the Gus
toms service and shipping board,
owners Of the East Side, are work
ing on the case.
Mr.. Gross said special agents of
the department Of justice were seek
ing a chief e1gineer who was alleg-
ed TO have come TO the East Side
shortly before the munitions were
struggled aboard, and after refusing
to take the ship out. disappeared
Mr. Gross limited that two assistant
engineers. who appeared with this
chief. would be questioned when the
East Side reached Norfolk. Va, as
they were understood to have sailed
with the vessel.
According to Chief Of Police Hayes
of HObOken, and information in the
hands of government agents here
the East Side was scheduled to stoT
at Norfolk 10 load coal for Ireland
Excuse offered.
The excuse that the beat was not
in proper condition which the chief
engineer is said 10 have offered fol-
not sailing with his ship was consid-
cred a subterfuge by officials of the
| operating company. Their suspi-
cions were aroused and the raid By
custom men followed last Tuesday A
report was made 20 the shippine
board. owners of the vessel. that il
| had been definitely established the
arms had been struggled aboard al
night.
Federal agents also have been in.
formed that an engineer officer whc
left the vessel when the marine
strike was called had received an
anonymous warning not 10 return
This warning was recalled only at
ter discovery of the arms.
NORFOLK, Va. June 17.-Mem-
bers OF the Grey of the steamship
East Side. upon the arrival or the
vessel here Friday. declared that the
I machine guns seized by customs
officers I'm New York harbor wed
nesday night were placed aboart
the ship by four engineer officers
who left the vessel after the wea'
( pons had been confscated. The en-
gineers were Englishmen, not Irish
men. they declared.
Capt. W. J. Johnson, skipper Of
the East Side, denied that he had
any knowledge of the hiding of the
machine guns on mis- vessel unit
they were found by the New York
customs officials and declared he had
I no reason TO believe that any on,
now on board had anything 20 dc
with a conspiracy TO smuggle the
guns aboard.
/ Members of the crew. however
l asserted that the four engineers. and
\ probably one or two others Of tht
crew were involved in the scheme
/ The guns were brought 10 the ships
\ side. wrapped in burlap. they said
and word was passed around tina
| they were engine room stores. Non,
of them knew how they reached the
1 docks.