Evening star., 1924-05-31
KERR CONFESSED
HELPING cH|NESE|N,
SAYS CONSUL CHIEF
Vice Consul at Vancouver
Admitted Taking $50 to Sc
cure Wise, Norton Charges.
HELD IN $1,000 BAIL
FOR U. S. GRAND JURY
Ryder, Consul General, Signed
Passports, Witnesses Testify.
Called Routine Matter.

Testimony of sensational nature.
Ryder, United States consul gem
eral at Vancouver, was mentioned,
was presented at the hearing
of David c. Kerr, vice consul general
at the same port, before United States
Commissioner Turnage today on charges
sage of Chinese aliens across the Ca
madam border. An alleged confession
by Kerr that he accepted money for his
influence in obtaining the passports was
introduced as evidence.
Mr. Kerr was held for the action
of the present federal grand jury.
Despite efforts of counsel to have
his bond reduced. it was continued
at $4,000 upon the insistence of As
sistant United States Attorney
Fiehlly. who pointed out that con-
viction on a charge of accepting
bribes for the illegal viseing of pass
ports would entail a heavy Jail SEN
tence.
Former Inspector Testihes.
Mr.. Kerr surrendered himsef to
Commissioner Turnage late Thursday
after he had been informed by news
paper men that a warrant had been
issued for his arrest. He was accused
of having accepted large sums of
money to use his office to assist Chi
nese immigrants across the Canadian
border on fraudulently vised passports.
At the hearing today he reiterated
his plea Of not guilty.
The first witness called by the gov
ernment was John l. Zurbrick. now
assistant commissioner of immigra-
ton at Seattle. AS an immigration
inspector at Vancouver in 1921, Mr..
Zurbrick testified, his attention was
attracted by an increasingly large
number of alien Cinnamon who were
entering the United States via Van
couver on passports vised by either
Mr. Kerr or Mr.. Ryder, the sigma
lures of each having appeared at diff
ferent intervals.
Cites Hyder Signature.
Asked by United States Attorney
Fiehlly to name a specific instance
where an alien oriental had Illegally
obtained admission to this country on
a passport vised at Vancouver, he
cited the case of one Chin Jan Yuen,
a merchant Mr. Zurbfick testified
that he knew it to be a fact that
Yuen was not exempt from the i'm
migration restriction laws.
who signed or vised his passport? ?''
the prosecutor asked his witness.
II will have to refer to my pa
examining a roll of official documents
he looked up and replied, Frederick
NJ Ryder" Mr.. Ryder was consul
general at Vancouver at the time and
the testimony was ruled out on the
ground that it failed to touch upon
ha charpo against Mr. Kerr Mr.
Zurbrick was excused from further
examination without the defense ask
ing any questions.
Says Kerr Confessed.
Edward J. Norton. chief Of the con
sular personnel of the Department OF
State, described a confession Mr.. Kerr
is alleged to have signed in Vancou-
to the Canadian city to examine con-
ditions called to the attention Of the
department through Mr.. Zurbrick. In
the confession Mr.. Kerr is alleged to
have admitted taking money to use
his influence in obtaining vises to the
passports of number of Chinese who
were barred by the immigration laws
Under crosS-eXamination Mr.. Nor
ton admitted that he had told the vice
consul that he wanted the confession
partment and that he had promised
to do all could to help Mr.. Kerr II
he signed the paper" Bert Emmer-
son, counsel for Mr.. Kerr, fought to
have the paper thrown out on the
grund that the confession had been
obtained under promise Of a reward
Commissioner Turnage, however
overruled the motion and the docu-
ment was admitted to evidence.
Hard Pressed, Says Confession.
Mr.. Norton said Mr.. Kerr had told
him how he had refused for years to
accept offers of bribes to use his in
ly, the State Department official said
Kerr told how he needed money to
pay a pressing bill. One of the men
engaged in the trade of helping
Chinese enter the United States un-
lContinued on PAGE 4. Column g.