Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-06-19
COL. THOMPSON
IS INDICTED
Head of Auto Ordnance Co.
Charged With Violation of
Neutrality Laws
WED HARVEY'S DAUGHTER
Several Others Indicted With
Him..Is Inventor of Fa-
nous Gun

TRENTON, June 19.-Col. Mar
cellus T. Thompson. vice president
and acting head of the Auto Ord
nance Company of New York, has
been indicted by the federal grand
jury here on a charge of conspiracy
to ship arms to ireland in violation
of the neutrality law. The an
nouncement was made today by As
sistant United States District Attor-
ney Thomas E. Arrowsmith.
Colonel Thompson is a Son-in-
law OF Col. George Harvey, Ameri-
can ambassador to Great Britain.
Indictments also have been return
ed against the Auto Ordnance Com
pany and seven other individuals on
the stme charge as the result of the
seizure of the Cosmopolitan's lines
freighter East Side at Hoboken last
June in the coal bunkers of which
were found 495 machine guns. The
guns were alleged to have been de-
stined for use by the Sim Fein in
ireland. The other individuals in
dicted are:
Frank Williams. alias Lawrence
DeLacy, alias Lawrence Pierce. who
is alleged 10 have paid for the ship
ment of guns, and his brother Fred
Williams alias Edward DeLacy. who
il alleged TO have been implicated
in the purchase of the guns. Both
are now believed to be in ireland.
George Gordon Rorke, a salesman
of Washington, who is alleged to
have placed an order for the guns
with the Auto Ordnance Co.
Frank ]. Merkling. secretary Of
the Auto Ordnance Company.
Frank D. Ochsenrider, of New
York and Washington, who is ac-
cused of placing the first order for
some of the guns with the Auto
Ordnance Company.
John Kulhane. a truckman of
New York, who is alleged to have
carted the guns from the Amer
ican Railway Express Company in
New York to his storehouse in the
Bronx for Frank William.
A Mr.. Brophy, whose first name is
unknown to the federal authorities.
who is alleged to have carted the
shipment from Culhane's etorehouse
TO the East Side.
The guns were manufactured by
the Colt Patent Arms Company OF
Hartford, Conn, and are alleged 10
have been sold by the Auto Ord
nance Company. There was consid-
erable mystery about the guns after
the seizure and an investigation was
started by the United States Ship
ping Board and the Department OF
Justice. Frank Williams claimed
ownership of the guns after their
seizure. He declared he has pur-
chased a number of guns of the
Auto Ordnance Company and placed
them in a warehouse. He said they
had been stolen and did not know
how they got on the ship. Rorke is
said TO have admitted that he sold
the guns 10 a group of strange men.
The indictments were returned by
the January general grand jury.
which concluded its work in April.
Information was withheld because of
the inability OF reaching some OF
those indicted. Several of the in
dicted persons were expected 10 en-
ter pleas in Europe today.
Is Gun Inventor
NEW YORK. June 1s:-Lieut
Col. Marcellus H. Thompson. son OF
the inventor of the Thompson gun
and son-in-law of Ambassador
6cOTEe f1dENtNs NAAdA eNNA III a AN0N@ -
indictment at Trenton today with
conspiracy to ship arms TO Ireland
in violation of the neutrality laws, s
a West Point graduate with sew
enteen-year honor record and a
member of the Expeditionary Forces
from August, 1917.
In the A. Z. F. Col. Thompson
was with the Fifty-first coast arnl-
lery in charge of heavy guns He
resigned from the military service
in December. 1919, and later be-
came head of the Auto Ordnance
Company of New York.
He entered West Point in 1902
and was assigned to infantry upon
graduation in 1906. A year later he
went TO cavalry and later TO coas5
artillery.
Recently Col. Thompson express
ed unwillingness TO talk about the
shipping of 400 machine guns on
the East Shore a year ago, except 10
say that I'VE do not know how the
guns got aboard the ship.
"Of course" he added, I'VE would
not think OF selling guns we would
suspect of selling them 10 Ireland"