Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-09

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 6.-Thirty
thousand aliens, denied legal entry
into the United States, are in Cuba
waiting to be struggled into this
country.
And hundreds of them are being
brought over nightly under the pro
! lection of Cuban police.
Scores of ships, loaded with them
pull out regularly under cover OF
| darkness from Havana, Juaminta
and other parts, with authorities
guiding them safely out of the har-
| bors.
Many are landing their illicit car
| goes on the Florida coast. Others
are taking them even so far as New
York A few have succeeded in
sneaking them in around New Or
| leans.
These and other facts have just
been given federal officials here by
81 skipper now under sentence to
Atlanta penitentiary.
He is Captain Henry Oi1lemutz, 60,
owner and master of the schooner
Altoona, nabbed by a coast guard
patrol after a thrilling chase through
Louisiana's southern coast. Huddled
| below were Is Chinese and 13 white
aliens, including one woman.
1T Was His Second Trip
Tt was, according to OhlemutZ, the
second batch he had brought over.
| In the first two months before, We're
/ 10 whites and two Chinese, he says.
| Ohlemutz, mariner nearly DC
! years, was tried in the United States
district court here and found guilty.
! On his plea for mercy, he was given
| a year and a day in Atlanta. lie
since has filed notice of appeal.
! The last boat the captain sailed
! before acquiring the Altoona, was
| the Asuncion. out Of San Francisco
Then he bought his own ship and
! fixed it up, as he says, Ito make a
| living with it in Mexico or wherever
/ could" He used it in fishing and
/ oyster hauling. But he says he
made no money.
He accepted a proposition to en-
gage in the alien 'bootlesging' oper-
ations
II did not like the idea" he said
''but pressing need for money over
came my scruples.'
Six Aliens Worked on Crew
The Altoona sailed from here May
I II for Havana on it's first smuggling
expedition. No arrangements, &C
! cording to Ohlemutz, had been made
in advance. They were attended tc
after he reached Havana.
There he took on board the two
! Chinese and the ten whites. The
,whites were mostly Hungarians and
Poles, as near as the captain coulc
determine
They paid an average of $12;
apiece, according to District Attor
ney Louis tt. Burns. The Chinese
because they are harder to get in
paid more.
six of the aliens were signed or
the crew." Ohlemutz explains. BE
side them l had an engineer. He
was to share the profits with me.
I'VE arrived in New Orleans
about 3 in the afternoon, [ released
the ten whites when they paid up
II delivered the two Chinese to {
Chinese here.
The money collected, all told, was
around $170O. After paying over
head and expenses for protection il
Cuba. the engineer and L had abou
$500 left.
Police Collected on Board Ship
Il left again June II, arriving il
Juamanita. June 21. l remained
week, leaving July >.
ION the first trip l did not dea
with anybody particularly. l got tho
men myself On the second trip
made arrangements with a man il
Juamanita.
Il was TO receive $3.50 each fol
two of the Chinese. and $500 a heaC
for the rest of them. Having failed
to make safe delivery, I got nothing
The whites gave me $50 to $f5t
apiece. When | paid for protection
l had about $500 left
1.-The protection cost $241. Two
policemen collected it on board -
before we pulled out.
1.-TWO the E..rnese We're to bt
I delivered mere. Twelve We're to b
taken to Philadelphia l intended
to stop in some desolate place anC
get them loaded into automobile:
or trucks. The other one was t
have worked his own way through
But the L. s, agents got me, anC
the whole transaction was off. -
Had Intended Quitting 1t
Juamanita. Ohlemutz asserts. i:
a regular clearing place for the
smugglers They leave nightly fol
Tampa and other points on the Flor
ida coast. Police sanction every
thing. as they are controlled, the
captain insists. by the millionaire
head of the smuggling ring.
Under his direction. ships are seer
safely out to sea. y scout boat see,
that the coast is clear.
L was in Cuba long enough t
learn all these facts related Ohle
mutt. Il was after aliens myself
SO il was easy 10 learn all about il
( l knew most Of the houses in which
they stopped.
They are all cheap hotels. Speak
ing several langua ges, il was no
difficult for me to discover the full
extent of this business
L was getting sick of the whole
mess. ! intended my second trip Il
be my last. And it was.
Il know I have committed Z Sc
rious offense. I only ask be deal