27-04-2009, 03:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 27-04-2009, 04:23 AM by Linda Minor.)
Morgantown, W.Va Post
Nov. 5, 1958
Seized Arms
Said Stolen From Armory
Part of Canton, Ohio, National Guard
Stock Stolen in Mid-October
Arms found on board the Beechcraft C-18, captured shortly after noon yesterday at the Morgantown Municipal
Airport, have been definitely identified as part of those stolen from a Canton, Ohio, National Guard Armory on Oct. 14. Customs officials arrived last night to remove the guns from the twin-engined plane and check the serial numbers
against those missing from the Ohio armory. Some 320 guns were taken from the armory. There were about 150 pieces aboard the plane.
The plane was captured yesterday by local State and County Police as it was being refueled here for a flight on to Florida and a rendezvous with Fidel Castro's Cuban rebels. Its pilot, Stuart Sutor, 34, of Hialeah, Fla., was lodged in the Monongalia County Jail overnight.
Sheriff Charles J. Whiston said that Mr. Sutor was arraigned before U. S. District Commissioner L. P. Eddy in Fairmont this morning. Mr. Sutor was taken to Fairmont
by Customs and Border Patrol men. Facts in the case were
turned over to Federal District Attorney Albert M. Morgan.
Speculation is that the plane here is one of five Beechcraft planes stolen in Cuba recently. Two of the planes are known to have crashed, but three are still in operation, so far as is known. Bearing the name, Transit Flasher Co., the plane was said by the pilot to belong to a DuPont Air Interest, owned by a Henry DuPont. Mr. Sutor said that he had been ferrying planes to Central and South America for years, but that he had only recently joined the company for whom he was flying prior to his capture here yesterday.
Border Patrol men said that the aqua and white Beechcraft had left Allegheny Airport near Pittsburgh yesterday about 8 a.m. and that it was apparently carrying no load at the time. They said that they had tracked the plane by radar to a small field near Butler, Pa. They said that Pittsburgh reports indicated that three men were aboard when the plane left Pittsburgh and that the Pilot was a Puerto Rican. They theorized that Mr. Sutor took over the plane at the Butler field. Mr. Sutor said that he had taken the plane from a small "field" airport but averred that he did not know whether the guns had been put aboard there. He said
that he took on only 25 gallons of
(Continued on Page 2, Column 4)
Post Photo
CHECK FOR CONCEALED WEAPONS—In this photo, taken shortly after the arrest of Stuart Sutor, charged with flying stolen guns to the Cuban Rebels, Mr.. Sutor's personal belongings are taken from the plane prior to sealing it.
Left to right are Sheriff Charles J. Whiston, checking the overcoat; Peter J. Grottendorst," Border Patrol air intelligence officer; Mr. Sutor and two county deputies.
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SEIZED
(Continued From Page 1)
gasoline there in order to make his takeoff.
Manager Lee Rinick at the airport here said that he had sold Mr. Sutor more than 147 gallons. He detained Mr. Sutor briefly by miscounting the change from a $100 bill given him for the gasoline, for the police to have time to move in and make the arrest. Mr. Sutor seemed a bit disgusted at the time of his arrest. "I've flown all over the world," he said "and here I am caught by a bunch of hillbillies" The pilot complimented the local police on their
arrest. He said that ordinarily "you can sense when law officers are around an airport when you arrive." Mr. Sutor stated that he nad no idea that anything had gone wrong until he saw the guns sticking in his face.
Border Patrolmen had alerted the local authorities from Pittsburgh. Peter J. Grootendorst, patrol inspector of Air Intelligence, J.S. Border Patrol, arrived in a Piper Comanchee shortly after the arrest had been made. He took charge of the sealing of the plane until other authorities could arrive.
Present last night, when the arms were removed from the
plane were FBI agents Charles Vatson and Vernon Daniels of Fairmont, Inspectors Riley and Lacy of U.S. Customs in Philadelphia, David Blackwell, with the Border Patrol in Burlington, Vt, and Mr. Grootendorst. The 150-odd weapons included one .50 cal. machine gun, seven .22 cal. rifles, four .45 cal. guns, and the rest mostly carbines and
M-l rifles. Authorities say that there may be some link between Mr. Sutor's plane and three men who were arrested in Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon. The three had helped load & plane at Tarentum, Pa. Tarentum is located just northeast of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny River. It is about 18 air miles from Butler.
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Charleston Daily Mail
NOV. 5, 1958
Arms-Carrying Plane
Seized At Morgantown
MORGANTOWN (AP) — A twin-engine Beechcraft, reportedly ferrying firearms to Cuban rebel forces. Tuesday was seized and its pilot arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol at the municipal airport Agents of the border patrol swarmed aboard the aircraft after it landed at Morgantown for refueling. They said it took off earlier from a small airport at Tarentum. Pa., 20 .miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Carl Endress, assistant chief patrol inspector at Buffalo, N.Y. identified the pilot as Stuart Sutor. about 33, of Hialeah, Fla. He said Sutor spent Monday night in Pittsburgh and the plane was loaded Tuesday morning.
Endress said the cargo contained an undetermined number
of M-l rifles and .50 caliber machine guns. He did not say
where the plane was from or how the border patrol learned of the arms shipment.
The plane was placed under police guard and Sutor was
turned over questioning to authorities for
No charges were placed against Sutor immediately
He refused to reveal who hired him or where he was ferrying the arms.
Heavily armed state police just missed seizing the plane at Tarenturn, Pa. Road blocks were set up in the area for a panel truck and two autos reportedly used in transporting the firearms to the airport. J. B. Grootendorft, an agent of the Border Patrol air intelligence service, and another landed
just behind Sutor here. They had followed him from the Pittsburgh area, some 80 miles from Morgantown.
Nov. 5, 1958
Seized Arms
Said Stolen From Armory
Part of Canton, Ohio, National Guard
Stock Stolen in Mid-October
Arms found on board the Beechcraft C-18, captured shortly after noon yesterday at the Morgantown Municipal
Airport, have been definitely identified as part of those stolen from a Canton, Ohio, National Guard Armory on Oct. 14. Customs officials arrived last night to remove the guns from the twin-engined plane and check the serial numbers
against those missing from the Ohio armory. Some 320 guns were taken from the armory. There were about 150 pieces aboard the plane.
The plane was captured yesterday by local State and County Police as it was being refueled here for a flight on to Florida and a rendezvous with Fidel Castro's Cuban rebels. Its pilot, Stuart Sutor, 34, of Hialeah, Fla., was lodged in the Monongalia County Jail overnight.
Sheriff Charles J. Whiston said that Mr. Sutor was arraigned before U. S. District Commissioner L. P. Eddy in Fairmont this morning. Mr. Sutor was taken to Fairmont
by Customs and Border Patrol men. Facts in the case were
turned over to Federal District Attorney Albert M. Morgan.
Speculation is that the plane here is one of five Beechcraft planes stolen in Cuba recently. Two of the planes are known to have crashed, but three are still in operation, so far as is known. Bearing the name, Transit Flasher Co., the plane was said by the pilot to belong to a DuPont Air Interest, owned by a Henry DuPont. Mr. Sutor said that he had been ferrying planes to Central and South America for years, but that he had only recently joined the company for whom he was flying prior to his capture here yesterday.
Border Patrol men said that the aqua and white Beechcraft had left Allegheny Airport near Pittsburgh yesterday about 8 a.m. and that it was apparently carrying no load at the time. They said that they had tracked the plane by radar to a small field near Butler, Pa. They said that Pittsburgh reports indicated that three men were aboard when the plane left Pittsburgh and that the Pilot was a Puerto Rican. They theorized that Mr. Sutor took over the plane at the Butler field. Mr. Sutor said that he had taken the plane from a small "field" airport but averred that he did not know whether the guns had been put aboard there. He said
that he took on only 25 gallons of
(Continued on Page 2, Column 4)
Post Photo
CHECK FOR CONCEALED WEAPONS—In this photo, taken shortly after the arrest of Stuart Sutor, charged with flying stolen guns to the Cuban Rebels, Mr.. Sutor's personal belongings are taken from the plane prior to sealing it.
Left to right are Sheriff Charles J. Whiston, checking the overcoat; Peter J. Grottendorst," Border Patrol air intelligence officer; Mr. Sutor and two county deputies.
-------------
SEIZED
(Continued From Page 1)
gasoline there in order to make his takeoff.
Manager Lee Rinick at the airport here said that he had sold Mr. Sutor more than 147 gallons. He detained Mr. Sutor briefly by miscounting the change from a $100 bill given him for the gasoline, for the police to have time to move in and make the arrest. Mr. Sutor seemed a bit disgusted at the time of his arrest. "I've flown all over the world," he said "and here I am caught by a bunch of hillbillies" The pilot complimented the local police on their
arrest. He said that ordinarily "you can sense when law officers are around an airport when you arrive." Mr. Sutor stated that he nad no idea that anything had gone wrong until he saw the guns sticking in his face.
Border Patrolmen had alerted the local authorities from Pittsburgh. Peter J. Grootendorst, patrol inspector of Air Intelligence, J.S. Border Patrol, arrived in a Piper Comanchee shortly after the arrest had been made. He took charge of the sealing of the plane until other authorities could arrive.
Present last night, when the arms were removed from the
plane were FBI agents Charles Vatson and Vernon Daniels of Fairmont, Inspectors Riley and Lacy of U.S. Customs in Philadelphia, David Blackwell, with the Border Patrol in Burlington, Vt, and Mr. Grootendorst. The 150-odd weapons included one .50 cal. machine gun, seven .22 cal. rifles, four .45 cal. guns, and the rest mostly carbines and
M-l rifles. Authorities say that there may be some link between Mr. Sutor's plane and three men who were arrested in Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon. The three had helped load & plane at Tarentum, Pa. Tarentum is located just northeast of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny River. It is about 18 air miles from Butler.
--------------
Charleston Daily Mail
NOV. 5, 1958
Arms-Carrying Plane
Seized At Morgantown
MORGANTOWN (AP) — A twin-engine Beechcraft, reportedly ferrying firearms to Cuban rebel forces. Tuesday was seized and its pilot arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol at the municipal airport Agents of the border patrol swarmed aboard the aircraft after it landed at Morgantown for refueling. They said it took off earlier from a small airport at Tarentum. Pa., 20 .miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Carl Endress, assistant chief patrol inspector at Buffalo, N.Y. identified the pilot as Stuart Sutor. about 33, of Hialeah, Fla. He said Sutor spent Monday night in Pittsburgh and the plane was loaded Tuesday morning.
Endress said the cargo contained an undetermined number
of M-l rifles and .50 caliber machine guns. He did not say
where the plane was from or how the border patrol learned of the arms shipment.
The plane was placed under police guard and Sutor was
turned over questioning to authorities for
No charges were placed against Sutor immediately
He refused to reveal who hired him or where he was ferrying the arms.
Heavily armed state police just missed seizing the plane at Tarenturn, Pa. Road blocks were set up in the area for a panel truck and two autos reportedly used in transporting the firearms to the airport. J. B. Grootendorft, an agent of the Border Patrol air intelligence service, and another landed
just behind Sutor here. They had followed him from the Pittsburgh area, some 80 miles from Morgantown.
"History records that the Money Changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance." --James Madison