Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-19
Auto-0 Ordnance Company, Its
Vice President And Sew
eral Others Face Serious
Charges; 459 Machine
Guns Found In The. Coal
Bunkers OF Vessel And
Declared To Have Been
Intended For Use OF Sim u
Feiners.

Trenton, N. j., June 19.-Colonel
Marcellus H. Thompson, vice presi-
dent and executive head of the Auto
Ordnance company of New York, has
been indicted by the federal grand
jury here on q charge of conspiracy
of the neutrality laws. The an
nouncement was made today by. As
sistant United States District Attor
ney Thomas V. ArroWsmith.
Indictments also have been re-
turned against the Auto-Ordnance
company and seven other individuals
on the same charge, as the result of
the seizure at Hoboken last June Of
the Cosmopolitan line freighter East
Side, in the coal bunkers of which
were found 459 machine guns. The
guns were alleged to have been des-
tined for use by Sim Fein in Ireland.
OTHERS INDICTED. -
The other Individuals indicted are:
Frank Williams, alias Lawrence d.
Lacy, alias Lawrence Pierce, who ,is
alleged to have paid for the shipment
of guns, and his brother, Fred Will
hnms, alias Edward Lacy, who Is a.
leged to have been implicated In the
purchase of the gums. Both are now
believed to be in Ireland. -
George Gordon Rorke, o salesman
Of Washington. who is alleged to
have placed an order for the gums
with the Auto Ordnance company.
Frank j. Mcrkling, secretary OF
the Auto-O Ordnance company.
Frank b.. Ochsen Of New York and
Washington, who is accused OF plac.
Ing the first load order for some Of
y 9tale gums with the Auto Ordnance
.ns,r hs,lh1yc Il !. frnnrl r. ~ mai, ~. Neyt
York, R41o b alleged to have caFted
the, guns. from the American Railway
Exrress- company ia New 'sXexasI.,s9 g M q
stoEehousc' in 81 the q Bronx for 1Frrni =, Z
1 "A MI. Brophey, whose first name
Is unknown to the federal authorl:
ties, who is alleged TO have cartod
the shipment from Culhane's store.
house to the East Side.
Made By Colt Company. -
The, guns were, made. by. the Coli
Patent Arms company of Hartford
Conn, and are alleged to have been
sold by the Auto-Ordnance company
There was constd era BILE mystery
about the guns after their: seizure ant
an investigation was started by the
. United States shipping board and, tht
department of justice. Frank VIII
Hams claimed ownership Of the guns
after seizure. He declared he haC
purchased number of guns through
the Auto-Ordnance company and hat
stored them in warehouse. He sale
they had been stolen from the ware
house and asserted he did not know
how they got in the ship. ~
Rorkc Released.
Rorke later was arrested and re
leased on $4,000 bail. He is said t.
have admitted that he sold the gum
to group Of strange men,.
)" The indictments were returned b!
the January federal grand jury
which concluded its work in April
Information concerning the indict
T ments was withheld, It was indicated
because of the inability to reacl
some of those indicted.
The technical indictment agains
the men as body charges them Will
conspiracy to set onEfoot and pro
vide the means for military enter
prise to, be carried on against tn.
territory Of a foreign power Will
whom the United States was q
peace" ''3@ls&. ff 4