The Topeka state journal., 1922-06-19
American Indicted for Sending
Arms to Irish Republic.
Vice President of an Ordnance
Company Held by Grand Jury.
HE'S SON-IN-LAW OF HARVEY
Religion Not the Drawback to
Irish Peace, Declaration.
Belfast Transport Worker Head
Says It's British Spies.

Trenton. n. J.. June 19.-Col. Mar
cellus H. Thompson, vice president and
active head of the Auto Ordnance
company of New York has been in
dicted by the federal grand jury here
on a charge of conspiracy to ship
arms to ireland in violation of the
neutrality laws.
The announcement was made today
by Assistant L. S. District Attorney
Thomas V. Arrowsmith.
Thompson is a son-in-law of Col.
George Harvey. ambassador to Eng
land.
Indictments also have been re-
turned against the Automobile Ord
nance company and seven other indi-
viduals on the same charge, as the re-
suit of the seizure at Hoboken last
June of the Cosmopolitan line freight
er, East Side, in the coal bunkers Of
which were found 459 machine guns.
The other individuals indicted are:
Frank Williams, alias Lawrence de
Lacy, alias Lawrence Pierce, who is
alleged to have paid for the shipment
of guns, and his brother Fred Will
liams, alias Edward de Lacy. who is
alleged to have been implicated in
the purchase of the guns. George
Gordon Roke, a salesman of Wash
ington; Frank J. Merklin, SECRETARY of
the Auto Ordnance company; Frank
B. Ochsenriter of New York and
Washington, who is accused of plac-
ing the first order for some of the
guns with the Auto Ordnance COM
pany; John Culhane, truck man OF
New York, and Mr.. Brophy, whose
first name is unknown 20 the federal
authorities.
The guns were manufactured by the
Colt Patent Arms company of Hart
ford, Conn, and are alleged to have
been sold by the Auto Ordnance com
pany.
Chicago. June 1s-Jim LariSin.
known as the leader of the Belfast
transport workers declared that spies
and agents of the British government.
and not religious difficulties prevented
Ireland from facing the world with a
united front, in an address before the
Chicago Federation of Labor
1arkin, recently released from Sing
Sing prison, where he served a term
for advocating syndicalism in New
York, declared he is on his way to
Cincinnati to attend the annual con-
vention of the American Federation OF
Labor and find out why the organiza-
ton has maintained silence in regar
to the murders in listers. He de-
clared the silence was due to the in
tellectual and economic domination of
England"
New York, June 19.-Lieut. Col.
Marcellus H. Thompson, son of the
inventor of the Thompson gun and
son-in-law Of Ambassador George
Harvey, charged in a federal indict-
ment at Trenton today with conspir-
acy to ship arms to ireland in viola
tion of the neutrality laws. is a West
Point graduate with a seventeen-years
army record, including active service
in the American expeditionary forces
from August, 1917, until after the
close of the war.
In the A. f. F. Col Thompson was
with the 51st coast artillery in charge
of heavy guns behind the lines. He
resigned from the military service in
December, 1919, and later beca me
head of the Auto Ordnance company
of New York.
Newark. June 19.-COi Marcellus
H. Thompson. indicted on charge OF
conspiracy to ship arms to ireland.
in violatiCn n CT the nt,traIity laws. t.
day pleaded not guilty before FedereI
Judfe Rellstabb.
A plea of not guilty to a similar in
dictment was made on behalf of the
Auto Ordnance conLaJiy as 4 2f,rpor-
aIiOn.