GUN-RUNNING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 October 1924, Page 7

GUN-RUNNING.

HEAVY FINES IMPOSED. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT (Received Oct. 16, 9.5 a.m.) CAPETOWN, Oct. 15. The King> s . Bench heard the alleged gun-running case cabled on September 19. The Crow-n sought to recover heavy penalties for attempting to: export machine guns. The defendants were Janies and Caril Attfield, Charles Hinman and Frederick Firmin. Prosecuting counsel stated that Captain Attfield had entered into an agreement with Vickers to purchase fifty-six machine gns, but the Board of Trade refused permission to export them. Hinman bought a fishing smack and the guns w-ere placed on board and transhipped to a Dutch steamer at sea. Caril Attfield, Hinman and Firmin pleaded guilty, and James Attfield not guilty. Caril Attfield w-as fined £6076, and Firmin and Hinman £14,060 each. It was stated that the guns w-ere intended for Russia. —Reuter. [A Capetow-ii message on September 19 stated: Discharging of the German ship Nordmark (arrested for gun-run-ning) hag commenced. Thousands of rifles and cases of ammunition w-ere landed, all being of German manufacture. The South African gunboat Protea berthed astern the Nordmark, w-ateliing operations. It is rumoured that the Nordmark was shadow-ed during her voyage to Durban. The Nordmark w-as loaded w-ith a full cargo of German guns and ammunition from Genoa. They w-ere covered with sand at an uninhabited island off the Gold Coast. It is not. known where the vessel coaled. She w-as probably forced into Durban.]