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\ MERIC AN!lt;■(Continued From Page 1)ter the plane but awaited for U.S.Border Patrol officers wlio hadstayed awake overnight to keep tabs on the plane.Inspector Peter J. Grootendorstof the Border Patrol Office in Buffalo, N, Y., arrived at the airport shortly after police made thearrest.mfiflt;RUiaMiriHe reported to his office about 150 pieces of firearms were included in several burlap bags in the passenger plane. The smuggled guns included M-l rifles, carbines and two 50-caliber machineguns.0Authorities said two other packages were found in the aircrafttlSibiit did not know what they tamed.The plane was placed under heavy guard to await more officers from the Border Patrol andU. S. Customs officials.IteutiiOiThe pilot told a Dominion-News reporter he had been flying all over the world and here I am caueht bv a bunch of hillbillies.’MtiietF(IDwmsiHe told local police he had beenferrying planes to South America for several years. He said he had Just joined this transportationfgroup. I thSutor told Sheriff Charles J. le VVhiston he had is flying for DuPont Air Interest. The owner was identified as a Henrv DuPont.asThe auqua and white Beach-aft plane was disguised under ie name. Transit Flasher Company.ashrcranOfficials said the plane took off from Allegheny Airport about 8 a. m. and did not appear to becarrying a load at that time.The Border Patrol had the planetracked by radar to a small field somewhere outside of Butler, Pa,, north of Pittsburgh.oncahlt;The pilot said he had taken plane from a field airporttotodid not know if the guns had qtthe Diane there.He later stated he took on only25 gallons of gasoline at this airport so he could make a smooth take-off from the small field with his 1,200-1,500 pound load.gcSutor told police he landedbecaMorgantown because he figured he would not be in jeopardy at this small community.’’Airport Manager Lee J. Renick siad he purchased 147-plus gallons of gasoline and was paying for the fuel when Corporal Snodgrass walked ud behind him for the ar-preoti\yetilcobecaifDCasneD.ov'In:wgev1R«letA*SCIfoiIDchitfornoiIalsDeNerest,Police learned he had planned to fly directly to Florida with thehot guns.Reports from Pittsburgh said three men were aboard the plane when it left the airport there and a Puerto Rican was the pilot. Sutor apparently took over operation at the small airport near Butler.Authorities were still seeking information concerning the other two men,Border Patrol officials in Buffalo refused to give out any information saying, the case has not developed far enough for us make a statement. There still are some persons we have notThe pilot is reported being held on two charges (1) the FederalFirearms Act violation; and (2)transportation without a license.He has been lodged in the County Jail pendingtion.A United Press International spokesman said they had received reports that five Beachcraft airplanes had been stolen in Cuba recently. Two of them have crashed since then, he said, and three believed to be operating in j ,|p United States now.Whether the plane impounded yesterday is one of the three isknownBorder Patrol officials said the guns were wrapped in heavy c6$-moline. indicating they tfla) Have been recently taken from a U. S.Government arsenal.The guns and other packageswere plainly marked, U. S. Army.Investigators were attempting to bnk the stolen firearms with a report from Canton, Ohio, that 370 M-l rifles had been stolen fromsult;miheipr«prtfor1armory thereSutor is married and has twodim a bov 10 and a girl 7,said. 1During questioning, Sutor paid compliments to tactics used by xal authoritiesHe told on* officer he had no lea he was being captured until
Newspaper Details
Morgantown Dominion News
Morgantown, West Virginia, US
Wed, Nov 05, 1958
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Anonymous
USA 19 Aug 2020
Other Publications Near Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown Dominion Post
Morgantown Morning Reporter
The Morgantown Post and The Dominion-News
Morgantown Dominion News and Morgantown Post
Morgantown Dominion News
