Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-09
Arrest Of a Former Yeoman on the
o. s. s. Brooklyn.
GEORGE DOWNING IN CONFINEMENT
Held in a Steel Cage at Washing
ton Barracks.
INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE


being a spy in the service Of the Spanish
government. He was arrested Saturday
night at the boarding house kept by Mrs.
Levy at No. 916 street by Chief Wilkie
of the United States secret service aid
several of his men, who were accompanied
by Captain Sage and a corporal and pri-
vate of the Sth Artillery
The arrest is one of the most important
ever made in Washington and the result
OF 1t will very probably be the court-mar-
tial of the prisoner and a sentence of death.
The causes that led to his arrest and in
generation are briefly summed up in the
following statement of Chief Wilkie of the
secret service:
Downing" he says ''is an Englishman
by birth, but Is naturaiized American,
and was formerly chief yeoman on the
cruiser Brooklyn. His discharge from that
ship dates about two months ago. Our
Information shows that last Friday he
mad conference with Lieutenant Carran-
zaS, VINO was naval attache of the Span
ish Minister Polo. and who was then at
Toronto. He furnished CarranZas general
information about the navy, and particu-
larly about the Brooklyn. He spoke in a
d.Sparag1ng manner of the American navy.
After one and half hours talk he came to
Washington at the direction Of the lieu
tenant. He left Toronto Friday afternoon
for this city, coming via Niagara Falls, the
railroads. Before leaving Toronto Car
ranzas gave Downing an address appar-
emily that of residence in Montreal to
which he was to send all the information
he obtained.
A Letter Intercepted.
Downing arrived here Saturday after
ncon," continued Mr.. Wilkie, land went d.
rectly to No. Ole E street, where he had
stopped no longer than a week ago. When
he left he told the landlady he was going
to Virginia. Shortly after reaching his
rooms he went out again to the post office
and dropped u letter into the box for the
address in Montreal which had been given
him. l should say right here that our
officers recognized Downing as soon
he arrived at the railroad depot and kept
strict watch on his movements all dur
ing the afternoon and evening up to the
time of his arrest. The letter which he
mailed was promptly intercepted at the
post office, and the contents examined. 1t
contained a statement to certain mat
tiers In Washington said the writer would
soon be able to forward some important in
formation about the Holland submarine
boat, gave a summary of the steps for the
relief of Admiral Dewey and promised data
as to the movement of American Golfers
o. coaling ships. Downing also said he
intended to go to Norfolk (which place he
hoped to reach Tuesday,, and expected to
obtain important information. The letter
Satisfied Downing is n Spy.
I'VE were we'll satisfied by this time that
the man was spy, and we set about to
secure his apprehension. We communi-
Gated with Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn
of the War Department, to whom we gave
a summary Of the information in our pos
session. and then with Judge Advocate
General Leiber of the army, who advised
that the man be arrested and turned over
to the military authorities. Downing re-
turned to his room during the evening after
dining and reading the news bulletins. Ac-
companied by Capt. Sage of the Sth Artil-
lery, corporal and private, by my own
officers ard by a policeman, We went to
Downings house, where we secured him
without trouble He offered no resistance,
but appeared frightened and much sur
prised al what was taking place. He was
handcuffed to the private who accompanied
Capt Sage and the corporal took him to
the arsenal, where he is under guard. We
have turned him over to the military au-
thorities for their disposition. AS 1 said
before. / think there is no doubt Of the
mans guilt, sufficient, in my judgment, to
justify the extreme penalty of the law"
Downing is apparently about thirty-three
years of age, five feet seven inches in
height. of athletic build and Bohemian in
appearance. No one is allowed to have any
communication with him at the barracks.
Cipher Code Found.
1Ho StdECH VI tIle room occupied by
Downing at the boarding house on E street
resulted in important discoveries. satch-
ell contained a cipher code and numerous
envelopes addressed to the same name in
Montreal to which the letter Intercepted
on Saturday was addressed, which is be-
lieved to be an assumed one of the con-
nection between Downing and Spain's rep
resentative in the nefarious transaction,
Lieut. CarranZas.
In addition to these articles, it is said
that drawings and traangS of United
States harbors and Notifications were
found. but this cannot be authoritatively
confirmed. When Downing himself was
searched $156.T0 in bills and silver. the lat
ter Canadian coins of small denominations
was found, together with his naturaliza-
ton papers and his honorable discharge
from the U. 8. s. Brooklyn three months
ago. A check for box at the Baltimore
and Ohio depot was also found on him, and
an examination of the box showed 1t con-
tanned the uniform of a yeoman without the
Jacket naval cap, lettered ~. s. s.
Brooklyn" was found in his room
When arrested Downing, who did not
know of the discriminating evidence in the
possession of his captors, strongly protested
to Capt Sage that he was entirely innocent
OF any wrong-doing and that he intended
re-enlisting In the navy. 1t is believed he
spoke the truth regarding re-enlistment,
but that he was going to do so as the agent
OF the Spanish government.
Downing was not in Montreal at all, but
was in Toronto, which city he left at $50
o'clock Friday afternoon for Washington,
at the same hour the members of the
Spanish legation left Toronto for Mon
treal
Downing had an interview with Lieuten-
ant Caranza in Toronto on Friday There
Is no doubt that he gave the Spanish off
Ger inform alton of an important character
Previously in Toronto Downing had repre-
sented himself to secret service man who
entered into conversation with him as a
representative of the United States Navy
Department sent on a special mission to
Canada to look over certain people,"
Downing said This people" had left the city
before he was able to accomplish his work
The possession of so much money by Down
ing Is regarded as a suspicious circum-
stance. When he was paid of for his serv-
Ice as yeoman at the Navy Department in
April he had something like hundred dol
lars. When arrested he had a hundred
dollar bill, two twenties. three fives and a
dollar and sixty cents in Canadian coins
He told Mrs. Levy he had just returned
| from Virginia All these circumstances
would be suspicious in themselves. but
there can be no question that the docu-
mentary eyideI ce which will be produced
at Downing's trial will result In his con-
viction.
Chief OF the Secret Service wilkie will
L turn in n To