ti firmer
epor
JJL
VOL. 53 NO. 56
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 1917
PRICE TWO CENTS
1
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: PLOT TO MTOME MIH H IMP JEM
, EIP11 IS KTOILEI ME
Two Arrests Are Made in
New York on Evidence
" That Expeditionary Force
Against British posses-
sions Was Being Develop
ed in U.fS. i
Wolf Von Igel Reported to
Have 'Been Directing
Force in Conspiracy Po
lice Claim to Have Re
ceived Confessions From
Suspects.
-V . .: ' '
i New York, March 6 Dr. Can
' ajiade- Chakaberli, a Hindoo
physician, and Dr. frnst Soun
der, 34 'described as a German,
'were arrested today on charges
of conspiring to set up a mili
tary expedition against a for
eign country on friendly rela
tions jwith ttie United States.'
The police say the men con
f essed that they had plotted un
der direction of Wolff von Igel
Vto invade t India by way of
1 China'. -
Vi-WVon Igel. indicted for alleged cora
pijty n d,; plot to destroy thdPWel
land canal is mitll Count von Bern
tstorff, former German ambassador to
the United States, who is approaching
Copenhagen on the steamer Frederik
VIII. From Von Igel, according to
the police, Dt. Chakiaberti and Sckun-
ner, who have been under suspicion
for some time, received $60,000 and
the Hindu, posing ae a PejEian mer
chant, obtained a. passport which en
abled him to get to Berlin. 'In this
connection additional charge of
fraudulently obtaining a passport has
been made against the physician.
Dr, Chakiaberti, according to the
alleged confession, revealed his plans
of an invasion 'of India to certain offl
. cials in' Berlin and then returned to
New York, where he and Von Igel
' prepared literature in various East
, Indian dialects. :In thev house in West
120th street where the two men were
arrested today the police seized large
quantities of this literature and found
also a complete chemical laboratory.
After the literature was prepared,
according to the police Dr. Chakia
berti and Sckunner employed as their
agent an influential Chinaman whom
they sent to his native country to in
terest his . government in a plan to
ship arms and munitions from the
United States to China, where with the
Chinese government's permission they
would be stored until the time set' for
te invasion.
The . police said the two men de
clared - they had heard nothing from
their Chinese representative and did
not know what success, if any, he
; had; ( .
' In the laboratory Sckunner was en
deavoring, according to the police, to
compound , preparation to be' used
"to disguise contraband of war." The
character "of this preparation he re
fused to discuss. Ten thousand
small aluminum boxes about the size
of a pill box were seized, together
with what appeared to be official pa
pers. The latter have been turned
over to government officials.
WILSON CONSIDERS
-RIGHT TO FURNISH
GUNS FOR U. S. SHIPS
Washington, March 6. 'President
"Wilson, it was said authoritatively to
day, will do everything possible to find
a way to arm American ships and pro-,
tect them in other ays from sub
, marine danger, in spite of the failure
of the senate to pass the bill giving
him specific power.
A final decision ' on N whether the
president can legally arm the ships
withount specific authorization is ex
pected soon . The opinion expressed
during the senate debate A that without
action iby congress the president has
no right to arm merchantmen was
taken Into careful consideration, how
ever, and the president will hot act
until he 4s certain.
BRITISH CLAIMANTS
' f WIN ACTION TO GET
PRIZE SHIP CARGO
Washington, '.March., 6--British
claimants of the German prize ship
Appam in Newport News, Va., today
won their suit in the supreme court
to regain possession of the vesse. and
:" cargo. i
THE WEATHER
Fair tonight, colder on the main
land; Wednesday fair, slightly warm
er; diminishing; northwest wind, be
coming variable.
ANOTHER SUSPECT HELD
' ; 1IKIT10R! 8H0P8 13 BE
Hobbken, N. J., March 6. -Another
man was taken into custody here to
day by the police on suspicion of be
ing Implicated, in a plot i to blow up
munition factories with Fritz Kolb, a
German who was arrested on that
charge yesterday and in whose room
were found two bombs and materials
for making others. ' The identity of
the second man was carefully guarded
by" the police, Who said they had rea
sons for keeping him under cover un
til the time came to arraign him. .
The police were planning " to ar
raign Kolb some time today. He was
kept under watch by special guards
NEARLY EVERY ABLE-BODIED MAN
IN TOWN OF WARREN ENLISTS IN
NM JO FIGHT
(Special to The Farmer.)
' Warren, Conn., March True to
the record they established during the
Civil War, when 49 townsmen volun
tarily shouldered rifles and went to
the front, at the first call . for volun
teers, this little town in engulfed in a
wave of patriotism. Of its present
412, inhabitants, 80 have volunteered
to join the United States' navy, and
are awaiting word from Washington,
to the effect that their services have
been accepted. 1 : '
Old glory waves from every dwell
ing and public building. Arrange
ments are being made to give the re-,
cruitsh when' they are assigned to sta
tions a rousing send-off and William
Whitney, who shipped before the
mast in his youth is the hero of the
hour, and; the recruit leader..
; When the President severed diplo
matic connections " with Germany,
Whitney, believing war inevitable, of
MARINE CORPS
TO BE FORMED
IN BRIDGEPORT
:, ; V
Coast and Factories To Be
Guarded By New Mili-
tary Organization.
. - A
The United States navy department
has ordered the formation of two
companies of marines in the state of
L Connecticut, one of which it is thought
likely will be quartered in Bridge
port. Orders are said to carrjr demands
for a strength one-nfth that of the
Naval Militia now assembled or later
to be recruited in this state. With
a total registration of about 100 naval
militiamen in this city, of which a
part have been made National Naval
Volunteers Under the Federal act, the
company in this city would have a
maximum enrollment at this-time of
about 20 men and probably one or two
officers.
Lieut. Albert Merritt, in, command
of the ordnance department of the
Naval Militia in Connecticut today
confirmed the, report that marine
corps , were to be a part of the state
militia ' protection to the coast and
factories here.
Lieut. Merritt stated that appro
priations are now being made for the
units but that definite orders for for
mation had not been transmitted to
this city as yet.
With the Coast Artillery Corps, the
,Naval Militia, hospital and ambulance
corps, sanitary division and an aero
anutic division at Bridgeport, this city
will take its place foremost among
the cities of Connecticut in the pre
paredness movement now advancing
throughout the United States. . It is
expected to be a military and naval
base of consequence as the formation
of military and naval units progressea
' SEVEN KILLED IN FIRE.
Vancouver B. C. March 6 Seven
persons were burned to death todav
.when the Coquahalla hotel at Hope,
13. C, was destroyed by fire.
all night. ,
Two bombs of great power and a
quantity of high explosives found in
Kolb's room furnished evidence of the
alleged plot.
Several witnesses have been ques
tioned in effort to connect the prisoner
with the disastrous explosion of war
munitions at Black Tom Island and
with the destruction of the plant of
the Canadian Car & Foundry Co. in
Kingland, N. J., where huge quantities
of shells were made for Russia.
Kolb said he was born in Cologne,
Germany, and came Jto thfi coutitry
shortly after the beginning of the war.
FORI S. RIGHTS
fered his services to the navy and sent
a letter to Washington. He received
a note of acceptance and was asked
to act as a recruiting officer and ob
tain other recruits from this town.
Shouldering the national colors
Whitney went about the town deliv
ering burning patriotic talks to his fel
low townsmen. In two days he ob
tained 80 recruits, whose names he
sent to Washington and it is probable
that the volunteer ranks will be swell
ed to 100 men before the week is
over. 'This would include nearly every
able-bodied man in the town. " "
Warren is a small town in Litchfield
county, which was incorpor.ed in May,
1786; taken from Kent. Farming is
the principal occupation of the inhab
itants. Its population is given in the
Register and Manual of Connecticut
as 410 of whom 134 are children be
tween the ages of 4 and 16 years.
milk WAGON IS
WRECKED WHEN
HIT BY TROLLEY
Drive$!IIurt When Impact
Throws Him From Seat
to Pavement. .
Struck from the rear by a trolley
car in Main street at Garfield Ave.,
at four o'clock, this morning, a milk
wagon occupied by Joseph Buiel, was
demolished, the horse knocked' down
and Buiel thrown from his driving
seat into the street, striking on his
hands and knees.
The condition of the ground caused
Buiel to 'suffer severe cuts on the
hands and he was removed to the
emergency hospital for treatment.
The motorman of the trolley, John
Hunt, of 464 Main street, and the con
ductor, Walter Dolan, of 47 Calhoun
j avenue, were taken to the fourth pre-
oLanuii, uut auowea ineir lib
erty after making a statement as to
the cause of the accident.
It is thought that the slippery con
dition of the rails prevented the mo.
torman from bringing the trolley to
a stop, with the result that he crash
ed into the rear of the milk wagon,
which was proceeding in the Main
street car tracks. The wagon was de
molished by the force of the impact
milk bottles were strewn about the
street and the wreckage was not clear
ed away until late this morning.
Earned $18, Gave
His Wife Onty $3
. Arthur Laffiin, of 256 Cottage street,"
arrested charged with non-support of
his wife, who has been in the hospital
for several months, told Judge Frank
Wilder that he earned $18 and was
willing to give his wife $3 of his
wage, y ;
"I don't see why you shou- have
five times as much as she," interrupt
ed Prosecutor DeLaney.
"Nor I," replied Judge Wilder. "'You
pay her $6 a week, put up a bond of
$300 as evidence of good faith, or go
to Jail for 60 days."
CARPENTERS
STRIKING ON
AUSTIN JOBS
National Jurisdictional Dis
pute Between Brother
hood and Metal Trades
Union Eesults in Walk
outs .Today All Over
Co.. Graphophone
.' Co., and New Warehouse
Here Hit Carpenters In
sist on Handling Work
On Metal Window
Frames.
As a result of a jurisdictional
dispute between the Brother
hood of Carpenters & Joiners
and the National Metal Trades
union,' 100 carpenters working
on Bridgeport jobs of the Aus
tin Construction Go. went on
strike this morning.
The carpenters claim the .jur
isdiction over all metal window
frame work, and on a job in
Philadelphia today, a superin
tendent awarded the work to
the metal tradesmen. This ac
tion resulted in walkouts
through the West, according to
W. J. Sullivan of Indianapolis,
who with Business Agent Mar
tin Kane effected the walkouts
here, and in New York, Phila
delphia and Stamford.
The carpenters went to work at the
-warehouse that is being built for Chas.
S Cole in Keifer street, the addition
to the Bridgeport Projectile Co., and
the Barnum .avenue plant of the
American Graphophone Co. Shortly
after 8 o'clock they received word that
they must quit, which they did in a
body, according to the union offl-.
(Continued on Page 2.)
RAILROAD DEPOT
HERE SCENE OF
NARCOTIC SALES
j.
Witnesses in "G-oogie" Wat
son's Hearing Says They
Buy in Bridgeport.,
(Special to The Farmer)
New Haven, March 6. The railroad
station in Bridgeport is the sale head
quarters for t.e dope'fieiXls and ven
ders of this stte, acccording to testi
mony which was given this morning in
the trial of Nelson Judd, of Bridge
port, known also as "Googie" Watson,
who is being" tried on charges of sell
ing drugs. . ..
District Attorney Spellacy placed
more than a dozen witnesses on the
stand, ' the most interesting ' testimony
being given by Bessie Lewis, alias
Hunter, alias Lynch, who testified that
she purchased $10 worth of drugs
from Judd in a day at the railroad sta
tion. Nearly every .witness admitted that
he obtained the drug at Bridgeport,
several admitted they went to a room
rented by Judd in this city to get nar
cotics. Those familiar w.ith the drug
practice explain that in passing
through the Bridgeport station a male
purchaser would walk rapidly pas'.
Judd or whoever the vender might be,
covertly grabbing the package of dope
while in transit.
Women accomplices of the drug
sellers would visit the women's dress
ing room at the station in Bridgeport
and while thus hidden from public
view, supply the female victim of the
habit. Most of the witnesses testified
they paid from $10 to $12 ff a bot
tle of the narcotic, and as evidence of
the lucrative business Judd was con
ducting, bank books were found
showing numerous and substantial
deposits.
Several of the witnesses were called
upon to describe their own physical
and mental conditions which led them
to seek out someone from whom nar
cotics could be secured. Michael
Swartz, a witness,' did not respond and
Judge Thomas ordered a capias is
sued. J. R. Eoff, Jr., a chemist of the in
ternal revenue bureau, gave expert
testimony to show that drugs 'offered
in evidence were actually narcotics as
claimed by the government, as being
of the kind Judd had deal in. Many
of the witnesses belong to West Ha
ven. ,
Replying to United States Inquiry as to Whether
She Would Support Germany in Campaign of
Ruthlessness, Austria Attempts to Justify
Measures Adopted Would Have General
Warning Against Barred Zone Substituted for
Individual Warning to Which Merchantmen
Are Entitled Capital Holds Out Little Hope
That Break Can Be Obviated.
London, March 6 The American ambassador in Vienna has,
been handed the reply of the Austrian government to the Amer
ican note inquiring as to the position of lhe Austrian govern
ment in regard to unrestricted submarine warfare, according to
a Vienna dispatch to Reuter's.
The reply declares that neutrals are responsible for what
ever they suffer by entering territory where the war operations
are taking place. '
The memorandum, referring to its note on the Ancona case,
says that it "strictly, adheres to the assurance already given."
At the same time Austria calls attention to the fact that at
the time of the Ancona incident it stated that it "reserved the
right to bring up later for discussion difficult international ques
tions which arrive in connection with submarine warfare." The
memorandum then adds:
"If the Austro-Hungarian government now refers to this
reservation and briefly discusses the question of the sinking of
enemy vessels to which that note refers, it isguided by a desire
to show the American government that now, as heretofore, it
strictly adheres to the assurance already given and endeavors,
by clearing up that important
laws of humanity, to avoid misunderstanding between the mon
archy and the American union." . -
The American note, which was dispatched to Vienna on
Feb. 18, asked specifically whether the Austrian assurances
given following th sinking of the Ancona and the Persia had
been nullified. The reply says that "whatever attitude" the
Washinton cabinet may take as to individual questions raised
here," the Austro-Hungarian government is "essentially in ac
cord with the American government in regard to the protection
of neutrals against endangering their lives." The memorandum
then maintains that "neutral subjects have to bear themselves
all losses they suffer by entering territory where warlike oper
ations are taking place."
TEXT OF AUSTRIA'S REPLY TO U. S.
Reuter's London office has received from Vienna an unof
ficial text of Austria's reply to the United States note on the
conduct by Austria of a submarine campaign similar to that in
augurated by Germany. The text of the reply, received at Lon
don, follows:
From the memorandum of Feb. 18
of the. American ambassaddr, the
Austro-Hungarian foreign minister
has concluded , that the Washington
cabinet, in view of statements made
on Feb. 10 of last year and on Jan.
31, 1917, by the Austro-Hungarian
government, is now in doubt regard
ing the attitude which Austria-Hungary
will henceforth observe regard
ing the submarine war and as ' to
whether the assurances given by the
Austro-Hungarian government to the
Washington cabinet, in the course, of
negotiations about the Acona and Per
sia papers, have not been nullified by
the aforementioned statement. The
'Austro-Hungarian government is
ready to make a clear and definite
statement in order that these doubts
may be solved.
"The Austro-Hungarian government
may be allowed first of all to discuss
briefly the methods employed by the
Entente powers in waging submarine
warfare, because they are the starting
point for the intensified submarine
war begun by Austria-Hungary and
her allies and also throw a bright light
on, the attitude which the Austro
Hungarian government has taken
hitherto' in regard to the questions
which have arisen. When k Great
Britain joined the war against tho
Central powers only a few years had
elapsed since that memorable time
when she', in union with other states,
began to lay the foundation Nat The
Hague for modern naval war law.
Soon afterward the British govern
ment had assembled in Holland repre
sentatives of the great sea powers in
order to consolidate the further work
of The Hague conference, especially in
the sense of a just arrangement be
tween interested belligerents and neu
trals. These proposals included noth
ing but the mutual established princi
ples of right which in war times seem
to embody the freedom of the seas
and the safeguarding of-the interests
of neutrals. ' B
"Neutrals were not to enjoy these
benefits for long. " Hardly had the
United Kingdom decided to partici
pate in the war when, almost at once,
it began to break down the barriers
which the principles of international
law had erected, r
"While the Central powers, at the
very beginning of the war, had iche
clared that the y would observe the
declaration of London, which also bore
the signature of the British repre
sentatives, Great Britain threw over
board some of its important provis
ions. In an endeavor to cut off the
Central ipowers from supplies for over
sea, step (biy step, the list of contra
band . grew until nothing was missing
in the list of things which today men"
want for their subsistence.
"Then Great Britain , proclaimed
question because it touches the
what sfhe called a .blockade of the
coasts of the North sea, . which form
also an important commerce route foi?
Austro-Hungarians, in order to pre
vent goods which were still missing in
the list of contraband r from N entering
Germany and an order to prevent all
sea traffic by neutrals to .those coasts
as well as all exports through neu
trals. That this blockade was in fla
grant contradiction to the 'customary
principles of the right of Ijloekade, as
established by international agree
ments, was explicitly declared . (by the
president of the United' States of
America, in the words "which .will con
tinue to live in the history of interna
tional law. r -.
"By the illegal prevention of exports
from the Central powers Great. Britain
aimedi at paralyzing- the countless fac
tories and works which; the industrial
and highly developed peoples of Cen
tral Europe lhad created, and, by forc
ing workmen, to toe idle, to incite them
to rebellion. . - .
"When Austria-Hungary's southern
neighbor joined; the enemies of the
; Central powers his first act was to de
clare as blockaded ' all coasts, of the
enemy, following of course the exam
ple of his allies in ignoring all the
rights in the creation of. which Italy
had taken an" active part a short time
before. Austria-Hungary djd not
neglect to inform neutral powers at
ontce that the blockade was not legal.
"For more than two years the Cen
tral Powers hesitated. . Only then,
and after long and careful considera
tion of pros and cons did ' they begin
to return like for like and attacked
the enemy in the sea.' As the only
ones of the belligerents who had done
everything to secure, the existing trea
ties which were to guarantee to neu
trals the freedom of the seas they
felt with pained hearts .' the law of
the hour, which commended them to
violate this freedom. v-
"But they took this step to fulfil
the paramount duty toward their peo
ples and from the conviction that it
would help the principle of. the free
dom of the seas to be victorious. The
proclamations .which they issued last
January are apparently directed only
against the rights of neutrals. In
reality they serve toward ( the , restor
ation of these rights, which their ene
mies have incessantly violated and
which, if they were victors, they
would destroy forever. Thus, the sub
marines" which are cruising around
the English coast announce to people
who need - the , sea and what people
does not want coasts? that.; the day
is not' far off when the . flags of all
states, in the glory of their newly
won freedom, can freely fly oyer the
seas. ".. '
"We cherish the hope that: this an
nouncement will find an echo every-
( Continued -on Pace S.) '
BREAK WITH
AUSTRIA
LOOKED
Adhesion to Principles of
Germany's Submarine
Campaign, As Conveyed
In Note Received Today,
Expectedvto Bring Sever
ance of Relations.
Effort to Substitute Gen
eral Warning for Individ
ual Warning Cannot Be
Accepted By United
States Cabinet Formu
lates Our Next Steps.
; J
Washington, March G Aus
tria's note declaring adhesion
to the general principles of un
restricted submarine warfare
holds out little, if any,, hope
that a break between the Unit
ed States and the Vienna gov
ernment may be avoided.
The complete official view of
the 'Austrian communication
will not be made known until,
after Presient Wilson and Sec-
retary Lansing have careful
studied-'lhe official text, which
was before them today. Also
the subject was scheduled to
come up for .discussion at to
day's meeting of the cabinet. It '
was considered probable that
the course of the United States
toward Austria might tenta
tively at least, be determined
upon then:
Austria's effort to substitute for the
individual, warning every" merchant
ship is entitled by international law
to receive, before being topedoed a ;
general warning to all vessels not to
enter barred zones cannot be accepted
by this government.
WESTPO
BASE F 0
U.S.MR0S
(Special to The Farmer.)
Hartford, March 6. Connecticut,
foremost in preparedness in. making a,
military census of its citizens, tools
another forward step today in prepar-
inijr for the establishment of the first
aviation school for its National Guard.
A bill for the (purchase of a portion of
the waterfront in Westportfor an av
iation school or for purposes desired1
Iby the Adjutant-General department,
was offered in the House today and
after being admitted was passed, with--out
dissent.
A portion of the land which it is
proposed to utilize as sites for hangars,
etc., for aeroplanes is already owned
by the state. The tract to be used is
three quarters of a mile in width with
about 2,000 "feet shore front. It is
south of the Bedford gardens. . Sev
eral million dollars worth of equip
ment will be furnished by the U. S.
government for use of the school and
an aeronautical squad of the National
Naval Volunteers, recently organized
in Bridgeport and now in training at
Pensacola, Fla., will be in charge.
TEUTON MILITARY
OFFICER IN BLOW
UP PLOT IS LOSER
Washington, ' March f 6 Werner
Horn, the German reservist lieutenant
who dynamited the international
bridge near Vanceboro, Me., in 1915,
today lost his habeas corpus suit in
the supreme court in which he
sought to avoid being tried in Boston
for alleged transportation of explo
sives on passenger trains.
The court did not decide Horn's
contentions that, in a belligerent act.
against Canada, his German army
commission exempted . him from
American prosecution and made him
punishable only by the state depart
ment. The court said Horn's appeal
is
was not authoriaxV, mmA Oimmtm
7
i
'v-V.
.-V