Read Ebook: The German Spy in America The Secret Plotting of German Spies in the United States and the Inside Story of the Sinking of the Lusitania by Jones John Price Roosevelt Theodore Author Of Introduction Etc Wood Roger B Author Of Introduction Etc

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Facts to prove the details of von Papen's organization and deeds were obtained from the von Igel papers, from the letters and secret documents taken from Captain Archibald; from documents and check stubs found in von Papen's possession when searched at Falmouth, England; from von der Goltz's confession; from scores of witnesses and from facts dug up by the Secret Service and the Department of Justice. The trials of various offenders against neutrality laws have given the public more evidence. United States District-Attorney H. Snowden Marshall, in New York, his assistants, Roger B. Wood, in charge of the criminal division; Raymond H. Sarfaty, John C. Knox, and Harold A. Content, all set forth before the public many phases of the ingenious underground methods of spying and violating the law. Upon the evidence found by those officials and by United States District-Attorney Preston, of San Francisco, the following facts are presented:

Once the spies were selected and assigned to their duties, von Papen sought first, to glean information bearing on the great war. He was interested, naturally, in the amount of shrapnel shells and high explosives which the Allies were purchasing. He was eager to ascertain what American Army officers were learning about the military operations on the Continent and what the American Government was doing to develop its army to cope with the new problems arising from the war. He was watching the officers of the Allies in this country. He was seeking lines of communication with the racial elements in America that were allied with the insurrection forces in the colonies of the Entente Powers. The varied results of his investigations are shown by extracts from reports which he sent to Berlin by Captain Archibald. One letter told, for instance, that the Norwegian and Dutch governments were in the market for war materials. Von Papen asked if there were any objection by Germany to the sale to those governments of war products purchased by him in America, adding:

"I could probably dump on the Norwegian Government a great part of the Lehigh Coke Company's toluol which is lying around useless."

In a cipher despatch to the chief of the General Staff in Berlin, he noted a conversation overheard in Philadelphia between two Englishmen. One British army officer, he said, was explaining a method for conveying military information by photographs. Likewise he gathered news of the Spanish Government seeking supplies, and sifted the facts assembled from factories, banking houses, diplomatic sources and transportation offices about the Allied war orders.

SECRET AGENTS BLOCK OUT AMERICA

Captain von Papen's cheque counterfoils are a veritable diary of some of his criminal--or if you please, military--activities in America. They give the names and the aliases of his secret agents; and day after day are recorded therein the payments made by von Papen to the persons working for or with him. The counterfoils tell the story of the purpose of the payment and by means of the endorsements on the cheques one can gather in skeleton form the story of a part--but not all--of the propaganda which the military attach? supervised. The stubs show the receipt of money, almost immediately after the beginning of the war marked for "War Intelligence Office." The interesting thing is that money for war intelligence work came from von Bernstorff and that funds for salary and expenses came from Dr. Fr. Adler, the Ambassador's secretary. To the fact that Captain von Papen kept such an accurate diary--an instance of German efficiency--is due in part the exposure of his varied activities in this country.

To Anton Kuepferle, another German spy captured in England and suspected after a confession to have shot himself, he gave 0. To Wachendorf he gave funds that the latter might go both to Berlin and England in the service of the Kaiser. To Paul Koenig, he handed many accounts for secret service work, paying also the expenses of Koenig's agents on trips to Montreal and Quebec in hunting information about enlistments of soldiers in Canada and the shipments of supplies from Canadian ports. The stub book also shows that he sent agents to investigate ammunition factories in different parts of the country, and that he paid the expenses of von Skal in getting "photographs for the War Intelligence Office." He constantly was sending cheques to consuls in various parts of the country to pay the expenses of reservists and agents.

TO INVADE CANADA

The diary, too, tells us of Captain von Papen's plan to invade Canada. Scarcely had he arrived in this country from Mexico, a few days after the Germans had invaded Belgium, than, as general-in-chief of the German reservists, he began to mobilize his forces for a military enterprise in Canada. If you look at the Captain's diary you see these entries: "September 1, 1914, Mr. Bridgeman Taylor, 0;" "September 16, for Buffalo, Taylor, Ryan, 0;" "September 22, for Ryan, Buffalo, 0;" "October 14, for Fritzen and Busse, Buffalo, ,00."

These are the earmarks of an unsuccessful military enterprise; for just as soon as Captain von Papen saw reservists gather in New York and assembling in other points he laid his plans for a concerted move on Canada. He discussed the details with his majors, captains and lieutenants assembling in New York. He met them in secret at night in the German Club and with maps and other detailed plans he set forth his mode of attack.

Captain von Papen aimed to create a panic among the Canadians, to put such fear into them that they would say to England, "We need our troops for self-protection against the Germans in the United States"--thereby putting the United States in a position of being unable to preserve its neutrality. The destruction of the canal by a tremendous explosion, or the detonation of a carload of dynamite on some railroad, or any sort of explosion in the Dominion, believed to have been supervised by Germans, would have had a tremendous effect upon the people. Doubtless this was what Captain von Papen sought; for that was the way he outlined the scheme to his assistants.

BLOWING UP CANALS

Captain von Papen next asked "von der Goltz" to see at his hotel two Irishmen, prominent members of Irish associations, both of whom had fought in the Irish rebellion and who had proposed to Captain von Papen to blow up the locks of the canals connecting the Great Lakes, main railway junctions and grain elevators. "Von der Goltz" says he received the gentlemen at his hotel, the men bringing with them a letter of introduction written by Captain von Papen. After having taken them to his room he got further details of the matter, maps and diagrams evidently cut out of books.

"Von der Goltz" also tells of going to Baltimore to enlist a number of German reservists who were staying on a German vessel there. In that scheme, he says, he had the aid of Karl A. Luederitz, German consul. He brought them to New York, but believing that his movements were being watched by Federal agents, he sent them back. Continuing his story of the conspiracy, von der Goltz writes:

"I saw Mr. Tauscher and he gave me a letter of introduction to the Dupont Powder Company, recommending B. H. Taylor, and the company supplied me with an order to the bargeman in charge of the dynamite barges lying on the New Jersey side near the Statue of Liberty. Captain Tauscher told me he would send the automatic pistols by messenger to Hoboken, to be delivered there to one of my agents at a certain restaurant, as he would be liable to punishment if he delivered them in New York without having seen my permit. The reasons why I did not apply to the police for a permit are obvious."

SCATTERING DYNAMITE

"In order to get the dynamite it was necessary for me to hire a motor-boat at a place near 146th Street, Harlem, and to put the dynamite on board in suit-cases. After returning to the dock, where I had hired the boat, I went in a taxicab, having two suit-cases with me, to the German Club to see von Papen, who told me to call for the generators and then wire again at the club. I took the dynamite to my rooms, where I kept also a portion of the arms packed in small portmanteaus ready to be moved, the rest of the dynamite and arms being in the keeping of two of my agents, one of whom was Mr. Fritzen, discharged from a Russian steamer, where he had acted in the capacity of purser; the other one being Mr. Busse, a commercial agent, who had lived for some time in England. The only other agent I employed was C. Covani, who attended to me personally, Tucker not being entrusted with any of those things."

Going to Buffalo with his men and equipment, "von der Goltz" was unable for some reason to receive definite instructions from von Papen, who was supposed to communicate with him under the name of "Steffens." He says:

"Being thrown on my own discretion, I determined to reconnoitre the terrain where I wanted to act first, but to do nothing further till I should receive orders.

"On 25th September received notice from Ryan to come to Buffalo. Having meantime received private information that the 1st Canadian Contingent had left Valcartier Camp, I knew that I should be recalled, the object of the enterprise being removed. I received from Ryan the telegram agreed upon in that case, but as I had spent most of the money furnished to me I asked whether Ryan had not received money to enable me to pay off the men. Ryan said he had not, but gave me some of his own initiative, and said he would wire 'Steffens.' On the 26th September I received telegram from 'Steffens' telling me to do what I thought best, and asking whether I had received the 0. Thinking it best to return to New York, all the more as funds were insufficient, I discharged Busse and Fritzen, who went to Buffalo, left dynamite and other materials in the keeping of an aviator who was manager of a restaurant at Niagara Falls, to be used again when necessary, and left with Covani for New York by way of Buffalo."

The trial of Captain Tauscher on the indictment charging him with conspiring with von Papen, von Igel and others to blow up the Welland Canal resulted in the acquittal of the German reservist; but it was admitted that von Papen and von der Goltz had developed a plot to destroy the Canal.

The evidence presented by Prosecutor Wood made a case, corroborated by details of testimony and documents, that delighted legal experts. The jurors, several of whom were of foreign birth, acquitted the captain apparently on the theory that, though he had furnished the dynamite, fuses and automatic revolvers to von der Goltz, he knew nothing about the plot, but simply had followed the orders given him by his superior officer, Captain von Papen.

OBEDIENCE IN AMERICA EXACTED

Captain Tauscher, in the witness-box, testified that he was in Germany at the outbreak of the war; that he had proffered his services as a reservist officer and that he had been directed to return to America and report to Captain von Papen. He said he knew von Papen as the head of the German secret service and that he was compelled to obey him. He protested, however, that he had exacted a promise from von Papen to the effect that he would not be asked to do anything contrary to American laws. He said he was an ordnance expert under von Papen.

Many documents, revealing the manner in which von Papen and his assistants worked, had been taken from von Igel's office, formerly von Papen's New York headquarters, and were presented as evidence by Prosecutor Wood. One document was a piece of paper in von Papen's own handwriting directing that a cheque in payment of the ammunition, pistols and dynamite, be drawn in favour of Captain Tauscher and that the same be charged to the account of William G. Sichols. Still another document was a copy of a letter written to a preacher in March, 1916, saying that Tucker, one of the witnesses in the Canal expedition, must be sent away for a time and remain quiet. The amount, 0, was enclosed for that purpose. Tucker was arrested in Texas. Although Captain Tauscher was freed, practically every charge of the prosecution was admitted except that Captain Tauscher had any knowledge of von Papen's criminal intentions.

RECKLESS ADVENTURERS HIRED

Without doubt, according to facts gathered by the Federal authorities and developed in Canada, Captain von Papen and reservist German army officers in the country did plan a mobilization of German reservists to attack Canadian points. Hundreds of thousands of rifles and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition that were to be available for German reservists were stored in New York, in Chicago, and different places along the border. While the Canadian and the American officials developed evidence concerning this plan of invasion, Max Lynar Louden, known to the Federal authorities as "Count Louden," a man of nondescript reputation, who had secret communications with the Germans in the early part of the war, has confessed that he was party to the scheme for quick mobilization and equipment of an army of German reservists. Many persons insist that Louden is a fabricator, nevertheless his secret activities were of such a character that he was under suspicion by the Federal authorities. At one time, he succeeded in getting himself invited to a Government House Ball, when the Duke of Connaught was the host. His bizarre costume attracted attention. The moment it was rumoured that he was supposed to have two or three wives, a State investigation was commenced, which resulted in the imprisonment of Louden. His story, therefore, is interesting.

After the enterprise on the Welland Canal failed and Count von Bernstorff, according to von der Goltz, disapproved of the Canadian invasion, there was a lull in any concerted move upon Canada.

BUYS UP EXPLOSIVES

Captain von Papen was keenly alive to the production of explosives in America for sale to the Allies. He was watching closely the product of the different ammunition factories. He was locating the source of the ingredients for such explosives, and he was naturally concerned in any method for preventing the export of arms and ammunition to the Allies. He possessed an unusual mind for economic data--a quality which aroused the admiration of Dr. Albert. The two men were much in conference over industrial matters that might be managed in the interest of the Teutonic Allies. Under Dr Albert's guidance he took up the project of acquiring a monopoly in toluol, a constituent of the deadly explosive T. N. T., and for buying picric acid, and liquid chlorine.

How he made recommendations on these things to Dr. Albert was shown in connection with the fiscal agent's activities. Other secret letters and reports prove that he and his associates had control of the Lehigh Coke Company, which turned out a large amount of toluol, and that he was studying to control the supply of picric acid in this country. Still further, he devoted much time to the Bridgeport Projectile Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This company was organized shortly after the outbreak of the war, and its promoters were prevailed upon to sell out to German buyers who, after an expos? of their activities, disposed of their holdings to still another group. Carl Heynen, an able German organizer and expert in Mexican affairs, had charge of the plant and supervised construction work and the placing of contracts for steel, ammunition and presses. The money was furnished by Hugo Schmidt and Dr. Albert.

One of Captain von Papen's own letters reveals the importance of these enterprises. Writing to his wife about the so-called Albert papers, he says:

"Unfortunately they stole a fat portfolio from our good friend, Dr. Albert, in the elevated. The English secret service, of course. Unfortunately, there were some very important things from my report, among them such as buying up liquid chlorine and about the Bridgeport Projectile Company, as well as documents regarding the buying up of phenol and the acquisition of Wright's aeroplane patent. But things like that must occur. I send you Albert's reply, for you to see how we protect ourselves. We composed the document to-day."

STOPPING SHIPMENTS FROM AMERICA

This search for information of military value and these plans for acquiring monopolies on certain ingredients for high explosives, carried on during the winter and spring of 1914-15, were but preliminary to a much more extensive campaign in which, as will be shown later on, Dr. C. T. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador, assisted by von Papen and Boy-Ed, worked with the idea, first, of controlling the arms and ammunition factories in this country, and next, of preventing the shipment of such products from America.

Naturally, during the winter and spring, Captain von Papen, Captain Boy-Ed, Dr. Albert and Count von Bernstorff, all along various lines, had been struggling to help the Fatherland, each eagerly hoping for success and some preferment extended by the Kaiser as a reward for tasks well performed.

For the execution of these campaigns against munition industries and railroads in the West and North-west, Captain von Papen had special lieutenants. The persons who have been convicted in San Francisco on the charge of conspiring to blow up railroads and to wreck the transcontinental railway system in Canada are: Franz Bopp, German consul in San Francisco; Baron Eckhart H. von Schack, German vice-consul; Lieutenant Wilhelm von Brincken, attach? of German consulate; Charles C. Crowley, detective for German consul; and Mrs. Margaret W. Cornell, secretary to Crowley. They were sentenced to two years' imprisonment each.

The question may justly be asked: "Why is it asserted that von Papen was behind and directed all these enterprises?" The Federal authorities have established a connection between von Papen's headquarters in 60, Wall Street, and the German Consulate in San Francisco, whence, according to United States District-Attorney Preston of that city, ramifications led out to the different angles of the conspiracy in the West. So strong is the evidence that the San Francisco officials have accused the defendants of using the mails to incite murder, arson and assassination. It is stated that the defendants planned to destroy munition works at Aenta, Indiana, at Ishpeming, Michigan, and at Gary and other places in the West. Among the evidence is one letter among several which has to do with the question of the price which would be paid for the destruction of a powder plant at Pinole, California, and in it reference was made to "P." The letter follows:

"DEAR S.,--Your last letter with clipping to-day, and note what you have to say. I have taken it up with them and 'B.' is awaiting decision of 'P.' in New York, so cannot advise you yet, and will do so as soon as I get word from you. You might size up the situation in the meantime."

While this and other letters show, in the opinion of the Government officials, that von Papen was concerned with the defendants mentioned in the western indictment, still other facts have been gathered against von Papen. He has been traced from Washington and New York to a number of points in the United States, his visits coinciding with remarkable closeness to the time that meetings of the alleged conspirators were being held. Captain von Papen sauntered from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York one afternoon about 3.30, down Madison Avenue to 42nd Street, where he wavered for a moment as if deciding whether he would turn over for a jaunt on Fifth Avenue or drop into the Grand Central Station to buy a magazine.

After a moment he walked slowly into the station, glancing casually at his watch, and moving just before the gate closed toward the entrance to the track where stood the Twentieth Century Limited, was soon safely on board. The next day he was observed in Chicago, where he announced that he was on his way to Yellowstone National Park--and he disappeared. For several weeks he was lost to the sight of the zealous agents who were hunting him; but one day he was observed sauntering through the lobby of the Palace Hotel, San Francisco. In the course of his absence, he is said to have swung down along the Mexican border, where he caught up with Captain Boy-Ed, conferred with a number of secret agents from Mexico, with spies scattered throughout the country, and then hurried up to San Francisco, where he was busy before the agents of the Department of Justice picked him up again.

CONSPIRACIES ON LAND AND SEA

"On different occasions in his room," says van Koolbergen, "von Brincken showed me maps and information about Canada, and pointed out to me where he wanted the act to be done. This was to be between Revelstoke and Vancouver on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and I was to get ,000 in case of a successful blowing up of a military train, or bridge, or tunnel.

"There are many tunnels and bridges there, and military trains pass every three or four days; he also knew when a cargo of dynamite would pass. He then informed me how I could get hold of dynamite, and explained to me that on the other side of the river on which the Canadian Pacific ran the Canadian Northern Railway was in course of construction, and they had at intervals powder and dynamite magazines and that it would be very easy to steal some of the dynamite."

Several ships were blown up on the Pacific; others were disabled under circumstances that suggested conspiracies. There were schemes also to destroy docks on the Pacific coast. In view of these plots, it is striking to observe in von Papen's cheque counterfoils this entry: "May 11, 1915, German Consulate, Seattle , 0." An explosion in Seattle Harbour occurred on May 30, 1915.

Another excerpt from the counterfoil is dated February 2nd, 1915, recording the payment of ,300 to the Seattle, Washington, German Consulate marked "C. Angelegenheit," a very vague word for "affair." He also paid to A. Kalschmidt, of Detroit, who is accused by the Canadian authorities of plotting to blow up armouries and factories in Canada, ,000 on March 27, 1915, and ,976 on July 10, 1915.

While this enterprise was being mapped out in the West, a second project against the Welland Canal was in the making in New York. Paul Koenig, the intermediary between von Papen and reservists and others, had charge, it is alleged, of selecting assistants who would carry dynamite, fuses, and other equipment to the Canadian waterway. Koenig selected as his assistants Richard Emil Leyendecker, retailer of art woods, a naturalized German-American, Fred Metzler, Koenig's stenographer, George Fuchs, a German, who after a quarrel with Koenig turned State's evidence; as also did Metzler, and one or two other men. The party went to Buffalo and to Niagara Falls, being trailed all the time by agents under direction by William M. Offley, chief of the Federal investigators of New York.

EXPLOSIONS IN FACTORIES

While these plots in the West were developed in vain and some of the culprits have been convicted, still other enterprises were conceived and set in motion in the East. A great number of explosions and fires have occurred in factories in the eastern part of the country. Though many of them were due to natural causes, yet suspicions seem to show that bombs were manufactured and placed in various plants and that incendiary bombs were hidden in other factories. The men believed to have committed the crime have been traced. They invariably proved to be Germans who, under assumed names, had obtained work in the factory; and then, shortly after the fire or explosion, had disappeared. But Federal agents following them learned that they had hurried back to Germany or skipped away to Mexico or South America. Bombs for their purposes were manufactured in various places in New York and Brooklyn; and in fact the authorities have obtained statements from men who made the bombs, but thus far they have not located the chief man. A German officer skilled in the manufacture of explosives spent a number of months in New York, living on board one of the German merchantmen and conferring frequently with Germans. He disappeared one day and was not heard of until a wireless message announced his arrival in Berlin.

His aim was to frighten steamship owners, and insurance underwriters, so that the insurance on munition ships would be raised to an almost prohibitive rate. Experts, however, have testified that so great was the amount of high explosive in the mines, that it would have blown off the stern of the ship, and detonated the cargo of explosives. In other words, had Fay's scheme worked, nothing of the cargo and ship would have remained but a few chips floating upon the waves. But through the vigilance of Chief Flynn, of the secret service, and Captain Tunney, of the bomb squad of the New York Police Department, Fay's plan was detected and John C. Knox, Assistant United States District Attorney, presented the evidence so thoroughly that Fay and his brother-in-law, Walter Scholz, and Paul Daeche, a German reservist, were found guilty. They were sentenced respectively to eight, four and two years in the penitentiary. Fay admitted on the witness stand that he laid his plan before Captain von Papen and Captain Boy-Ed, that he had more than one conference with Captain von Papen; but he asserted that both men warned him not to undertake the scheme. It will be remembered that Fay escaped from the Atlanta Penitentiary within a short time after his sentence, and he is believed to be either in Mexico or back in the trenches. He undoubtedly secured aid from German sympathizers.

FIRE BOMBS

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