ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN WAR MATERIAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 289, 26 August 1918, Page 4

ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN WAR MATERIAL

TWO MEN SENTENCED. (Rec. Augußt 26, 5.5 p.m.) London, August 23. George Heyl was sentenced to four months imprisonment in the second division, and Jacob Stonor was fined £100, with costs 100 guineas, for dealing in war material without a permit. —Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. [Some remarkable features wero disclosed in the hcariug of charges against George Heyl and Jacob Stonor for dealing in war material without a permit. Sir A. H. Bodkin, K.C., prosecuting, said enormous correspondence had been seized by tho polico, and it showed that Heyl and Stonor, .with the co-operation of mon in Rio do Janeiro and Now York, sought to dispose of hugh quantities of Manser, Hotchkiss, and Rrupp guns and explosives, and even Brazilian Dreadnoughts, to the various Governments. The war material referred to was mostly in South America. One deal concerned half a million rifles; another showed tho purchase prico at £9,713,000 and the sale price £10,516,000. Heyl explained to tho c«blo censor that the linn had a prewar contract with Russia. Stonor's name before tho war was Stein. Tho prosecution called evidence to show that with a view to evading the censor, their agents addressed them under women's names. They referred to love matters, and used simple wcrds meaning the armament of n particular ship, and used the word "cheeses" for "rifles." Detective-Sergeant Ashley, in reply to counsel for the defence, said that Stonor's loyalty outside this caso \vas beyond suspicion. He had had ono son killed at the front, and another, who was previously wounded, had been highly decorated. Stonor had been of great financial assistance to the Government.]