Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-05
MAYOR AND 13FACE'
LIQUOR SENTENCES.
EdgeWater, N. J., Executive,
His Police Chief and Com
panions Convicted.


NEW YORK, February 5.-The
mayor of New Jersey town, his chief
of police and two of the towns detec-
tives today faced penitentiary SEN
tences for their part in the $20OO,0OO
rum-running conspiracy Of the steam
ship Eker
Fourteen persons, including Mayor
Henry Wissel of Edgewater. last night
were found guilty by a Federal court
Jury of conspiracy to dispose of SNUG
gled merchandise.
Wissei, his police chief and detec-
tives, who were charged with accept
ing $43. 900 In bribes to insure LANDING
OF the liquor In Edgewater. viii be
sentenced Wednesday. The maximum
penalty is two years in the Atlanta
Penitentiary and $4,000 fine. me
other convicted eonspirators were SEN
tenced last night, the heaviest punish
ment given any one being year ana
day at Atlanta.
Four others, who had pleaded guilty..
likewise face maximum penalties OF
two years and $4,000 fines.
Steamer Is Seized.
Edgewater lies across the 1udson
from upper Manhattan. Last April
the steamship Eker was seized IN tne
Hudson off Yonkers, n. T., ana
memorandum book said to contain the
names of Edgewater officials was
found on board Investigation re-
yeaIad that $4,000 in bribes had been
paid for the privilege OF landing llquor
in an Edgewater boat repair yard
Alexander r. Flannery and Edward
Pickering, two Edgewater detectives,
were charged with having guarded tne
unloading of the Eker at EdgeWater.
On December IA 33 persons, includ-
ing Wissel and his police officers, were
indicted. Many of these have not been
caught to be brought to trial. !.
Cecil and Clifford Kinder and Dewitt
Turner OF Chicago and Maurice BOT
den of Providence, r. l., pleaded guilty
at the trial and testified for the Gov
ernment.
Tank Cars Built.
Turner said he had paid Mayor Wis
sal sos. 500 and given him 400 cases
of whisky and cases of alcohol. In.
cidentaIly he revealed that Cecil
Kinder had told him tank cars ike
those of the Standard Oil Co. had been
built to take liquor to Chicago, and
that Iiauor had been sent by boat
from Halifax to Chicago.
Cecil Kinder swore he had paid
lanes A. Dinan, the Edgewater police
chief $500. clifford Kinder con-
temptuously referred to Mayor Wissel
as not having the courage or his
corruption" and went on to tell OF
having $4,000, or rs cents a case, to
Eustace r. Smith, part owner or the
Edgewater repair yard.
The defense rested after calling
character witnesses for Mayor Wissel
Roth defense and Government counsel
waived arguments to the jury, which
was out seven hours.
Those Given Sentences.
Those sentenced last night were
Edward A. Ritz, a customs inspector
Of Union City, n. j.; Paul Demon
treaux. James Baldwin and Eustace
r Smith. owners OF the Edgewater
boat repair yard where liquor was
landed from the Eker, and six mem
hers of the Eker's crew.
Demontreaux and Baldwin received
susnended sentences of a year and a
day at Atlanta and were paroled two
wears. Eustace r. Smith was fined
| Il 900. The crew members were each
| given the-year-and-a-day sentence, pro.
vided they are in this country June /
They testified they were not American
John ]. Lowery, New York police
sergeant. and Henry Gertner were
acnvitted. The Eker's captain is serv.
| ing a sentence of 18 months for shang.
! haiing a. negro constable from the
| bahamas.