The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-18
OFFICERS SEIZE
GUNS FOR IRISH
500 Modern Machine
Guns and E ira Parts
Found Aboard Ship
Bound F5r Irish
Port

New York. June 15.-(By the AS
Sociated Prcss).-M0re than 500 mod
ern machine guns With hundreds OF
spare parts suspectal by government
officials to have beer destined for Ire
land were seized here today by Unit
cd States customs officials. The
arms. found aboard the American
steamship East Side, were subse-
quently taken from the customs men
as they We're being carried away from
tho pier by Hoboken police, acting on
a search and seizure warrant sworn
out by man giving the name Of
Frank Williams. 30 further infor-
nation concerning him was available
at Hoboilcn police headquarters. He
alleged they had been stolen from
him June II. The arms were taken to
police headquarters AT Hoboken and
will be held pending hearing before
the recorder to de1.s mine who is en-
titled totheir custosg.
According to reports reaching gov :
ernment agencies. ewo changes of
crews. brought about by the nation
Widc marine strike. resulted in dis
that u member Of one of the crews
tipped off, the government jnvesti-
gators.
Presence of the arms on board tie
East Side was not known to the own
cr of the ship, the United States
Shipping Board. or its managing op-
orators until they we're informed of
their discovery by federal investiga-
tors The East Side cleared today
I for Norfolk, where, according to
Chief of Police Hayes. Of Hoboken.
she was to take cargo Of coal Tor
port in ireland.
Investigations as 20 how the arms
came to be aboard. who caused them
| to be placed there, aud for whom they
were intended are under way by Of
/, ficials of the customs service, the de-
partment Of Justice and the United
States Shipping Board.
One report is that they were SNUG
sled aboard from launches, which
came up to the ships side at night,
and the arms, swathed in burlaD bags.
were hoisted aboard as "cngine room
! supplies a curi3us member Of the
crew cut into one Of these bags with
{ his knife. disclosing Il machine gun.
When a search WIS made the arms
were found concealed in various parts
of the ship. They were removed to
the dock and placed under guards.
and TO-DAY while be- 1g removed from
1.-THE dock 20 cuStoI IS warehouse. fell
into the hands Of the police by virtue
of the search and seizure warrant
sworn out by Williams.
Government representatives would
make no official statements on tn"
matter pending lrsion of the in
vestieati"ns SeizJls by customs men
is said TO have Er~cl made on the
ground that a s!:ipale;lt of arms was
being attempted without compliance
with maritime re-ul3tions which call
for manifestinc all exports.
rhe government investigators also
were Informed that after the second
crew had assumed charge of the ship
some unidentified persons in a launch
hailed The watchman and asked per-
mission to remove from the vessel
some supplies which had been de-
livered aboard the East Side by mis-
! take The watch:zan refused 20 let
the Strangers a5oae! the ship with
oat authority from tIle owners.
\ description OF the seized arms
and parts. as made iy Williams in his
application for the warrant. includes
500 Thompson sIlb-Tlachine guns. 80
extra 30-capacity magazines. > 5o-ca-
i.acity drum magazines. 100-capac-
ity drum magazines. eighty extra 30
capacity box magazines. twenty so
capacity drum magazines. twenty 100
capacity lua=azincS ard hundreds Of
parts. OF machine guns. Williams gave
his residence as Hohoken.