Capels deposition: Fred Bretzer accused in Syracuse, NY, November 1918
Replies: 0
Capels deposition: Fred Bretzer accused in Syracuse, NY, November 1918
 valerie_capels
(View posts)
|
Posted: 6 Sep 2005 12:14PM GMT |
Classification: Biography
Surnames: Bretzer, Capels, Tormey, Corcoran
FRED BRETZER, ARRAIGNED, PLEADS NOT GUILTY; CASE TO COME UP NEXT WEDNESDAY
Accused Former Chief of Police at Liverpool and Is Widely Known in Business and Legal Circles–Is Released in $2,000 Bail.
Accused of having villified the government of the United States in disloyal, profane and abusive language, Deputy Sheriff Fred BRETZER, former chief of police of the village of Liverpool, and well known in business and legal circles of Syracuse, was arrested at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon by United States Marshall John WELCH, arraigned before United States Commissioner L. Earl HIGBEE and held in $2,000 bail for the grand jury.
BRETZER is accused by three witnesses of having declared that the United States government was no good, that it was sending the German-American soldiers, of whom his son was one, to the front line trenches so they would be shot, and that the government would never pay the $10,000 principal on soldiers' insurance policies.
CASE TO COME UP NEXT WEDNESDAY.
At his arraignment before Commissioner HIGBEE he pleaded not guilty and waived examination. The case will come up next Wednesday at Utica. Shortly after his arraignment, Louis KRUGER, another deputy sheriff who has known BRETZER for several years, arrived at BRETZER's request and gave bail for his appearance. BRETZER was represented by Attorney Richard BYRNE.
The complainants in the case, in addition to James TORMEY, who is a government employee, are John C. CORCORAN, of [118?] South Clinton street, Otto KILLIAN, of NO. 147 East Onondaga street, and Carroll CAPELS, of No. 308 Essex street, all employed at the Halcomb Steel company's works, where the alleged utterances were made.
In explanation to his friends, BRETZER denied having made any derogatory statements, but admitted that he had said "the government wouldn't pay the insurance in a lump sum," meaning, he claims, that they would pay it in installments.
Friends Had to Pay Him.
BRETZER is also accused of having said that a friend of his was made United States marshal, and taht [sic] the marshal's friends had to give him $10,000 to keep him going until the government got around to paying him.
The arrest came as a surprise to BRETZER, who claimed to Marshal WELCH, that it was the result of a "grudge."
The principal deposition upon which the arrest was issued declares the following to be true:
"That in violation of section [?] of the act of Congress did unlawfully and willfully make and convey false reports and false statements with intent to interfere with the operation and success of the military and naval forces of the United States and to promote the success of its enemy, and did willfully utter disloyal, profane, scurrilous and abusive language about the form of the government of the United States, and the language intended to bring the form of the government of the United States and, the Constitution thereof into contempt, scorn and disrepute, and while the United States of America was at was with the Imperial German government did utter in the presence of others the following language:
Government No Good.
"The ------- ------- government is not good and if a soldier dies in France, his beneficiaries will not get the $10,000 which the government claims that they will pay because the government will never pay it; that he (BRETZER) knows people whose sons have died and that they will never get the money from Uncle Sam; that the United States government is going to ship away German-Americans to the trenches so that they will be shot, and that his {BRETZER's) son would be included among them; that the United States is not shipping the soldiers across [--- ---- indecipherable line ---- ---- ] that they are dying in this country in the camps; that he (BRETZER) knew of a case where a young man in Syracuse obtained a position as United States marshal and that friends of his had to advance him from five to ten thousand dollars to enable him to live unti the government paid him and that the ------- ------- government would pay them when they got ------- ------- good and ready.
"That the sources of deponent's information and the grounds of his belief are the written statements of witnesses."
This deposition is signed by James TORMEY.
Deposition By CAPELS.
Carroll CAPELS makes the following statement:
"That while he was employed by the Halcomb Steel company and on or about the first part of August, 1918, he heard Fred BRETZER, who was also employed by the Halcomb Steel company, state that the government is no good and if a soldier dies in France his beneficiaries will not get the $10,000 which the government claims they will pay, became the government will never pay it.
Deponent further states that he heard the said BRETZER say that he (BRETZER) knows people whose sons have died and that they will never get the money from Uncle Sam. Deponent further states that he heard the said Fred BRETZER state that the United States government is going to ship every German-American to the trenches so that they would be shot, and that hsi son would be included among them. Deponent also states that he heard the said BRETZER say that the United States is not shipping the soldiers across as fast as they claim but that instead of that they are dying in this country in the camps."
Killian's Statement.
Otto KILLIAN states that he is employed by the Halocmb Steel company and while in the time-office of the said company between 6 P.M. and 12 P. M. one evening, on or about the 15th day of October, 1918, he heard Fred BRETZER say in substance that he–said BRETZER–knows of a case in Liverpool where the government paid one of two installments on the death claim of a soldier's beneficiaries and failed to pay after that, and that the people are going to sue the government, but that some attorney advised them not to sue the government.
John N. CORCORAN declares that BRETZER said he knew of a case where a young man was made United States marshal and friends of his had to advance him from $5,000 to $10,000 to enable him to live until the government paid him–and that the ------- ------- government would pay him when it got ------- ------- good and ready.
[Source: The Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, New York, Sunday, November 24, 1918, p.1; Ancestry.com newspaper database, viewed September 5, 2005; notes in brackets and some capitalizations added by compiler VC]
Accused Former Chief of Police at Liverpool and Is Widely Known in Business and Legal Circles–Is Released in $2,000 Bail.
Accused of having villified the government of the United States in disloyal, profane and abusive language, Deputy Sheriff Fred BRETZER, former chief of police of the village of Liverpool, and well known in business and legal circles of Syracuse, was arrested at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon by United States Marshall John WELCH, arraigned before United States Commissioner L. Earl HIGBEE and held in $2,000 bail for the grand jury.
BRETZER is accused by three witnesses of having declared that the United States government was no good, that it was sending the German-American soldiers, of whom his son was one, to the front line trenches so they would be shot, and that the government would never pay the $10,000 principal on soldiers' insurance policies.
CASE TO COME UP NEXT WEDNESDAY.
At his arraignment before Commissioner HIGBEE he pleaded not guilty and waived examination. The case will come up next Wednesday at Utica. Shortly after his arraignment, Louis KRUGER, another deputy sheriff who has known BRETZER for several years, arrived at BRETZER's request and gave bail for his appearance. BRETZER was represented by Attorney Richard BYRNE.
The complainants in the case, in addition to James TORMEY, who is a government employee, are John C. CORCORAN, of [118?] South Clinton street, Otto KILLIAN, of NO. 147 East Onondaga street, and Carroll CAPELS, of No. 308 Essex street, all employed at the Halcomb Steel company's works, where the alleged utterances were made.
In explanation to his friends, BRETZER denied having made any derogatory statements, but admitted that he had said "the government wouldn't pay the insurance in a lump sum," meaning, he claims, that they would pay it in installments.
Friends Had to Pay Him.
BRETZER is also accused of having said that a friend of his was made United States marshal, and taht [sic] the marshal's friends had to give him $10,000 to keep him going until the government got around to paying him.
The arrest came as a surprise to BRETZER, who claimed to Marshal WELCH, that it was the result of a "grudge."
The principal deposition upon which the arrest was issued declares the following to be true:
"That in violation of section [?] of the act of Congress did unlawfully and willfully make and convey false reports and false statements with intent to interfere with the operation and success of the military and naval forces of the United States and to promote the success of its enemy, and did willfully utter disloyal, profane, scurrilous and abusive language about the form of the government of the United States, and the language intended to bring the form of the government of the United States and, the Constitution thereof into contempt, scorn and disrepute, and while the United States of America was at was with the Imperial German government did utter in the presence of others the following language:
Government No Good.
"The ------- ------- government is not good and if a soldier dies in France, his beneficiaries will not get the $10,000 which the government claims that they will pay because the government will never pay it; that he (BRETZER) knows people whose sons have died and that they will never get the money from Uncle Sam; that the United States government is going to ship away German-Americans to the trenches so that they will be shot, and that his {BRETZER's) son would be included among them; that the United States is not shipping the soldiers across [--- ---- indecipherable line ---- ---- ] that they are dying in this country in the camps; that he (BRETZER) knew of a case where a young man in Syracuse obtained a position as United States marshal and that friends of his had to advance him from five to ten thousand dollars to enable him to live unti the government paid him and that the ------- ------- government would pay them when they got ------- ------- good and ready.
"That the sources of deponent's information and the grounds of his belief are the written statements of witnesses."
This deposition is signed by James TORMEY.
Deposition By CAPELS.
Carroll CAPELS makes the following statement:
"That while he was employed by the Halcomb Steel company and on or about the first part of August, 1918, he heard Fred BRETZER, who was also employed by the Halcomb Steel company, state that the government is no good and if a soldier dies in France his beneficiaries will not get the $10,000 which the government claims they will pay, became the government will never pay it.
Deponent further states that he heard the said BRETZER say that he (BRETZER) knows people whose sons have died and that they will never get the money from Uncle Sam. Deponent further states that he heard the said Fred BRETZER state that the United States government is going to ship every German-American to the trenches so that they would be shot, and that hsi son would be included among them. Deponent also states that he heard the said BRETZER say that the United States is not shipping the soldiers across as fast as they claim but that instead of that they are dying in this country in the camps."
Killian's Statement.
Otto KILLIAN states that he is employed by the Halocmb Steel company and while in the time-office of the said company between 6 P.M. and 12 P. M. one evening, on or about the 15th day of October, 1918, he heard Fred BRETZER say in substance that he–said BRETZER–knows of a case in Liverpool where the government paid one of two installments on the death claim of a soldier's beneficiaries and failed to pay after that, and that the people are going to sue the government, but that some attorney advised them not to sue the government.
John N. CORCORAN declares that BRETZER said he knew of a case where a young man was made United States marshal and friends of his had to advance him from $5,000 to $10,000 to enable him to live until the government paid him–and that the ------- ------- government would pay him when it got ------- ------- good and ready.
[Source: The Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, New York, Sunday, November 24, 1918, p.1; Ancestry.com newspaper database, viewed September 5, 2005; notes in brackets and some capitalizations added by compiler VC]