The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-05
so DECLARES BENTHEIM
THE TRAFFIC. IN FRENCH WAR
OFFICE MERCHANDISE.
MORE DETAILS OF THE STORY GIVEN
The Doll Plan Was not the Only Modus 0per-
and Employed for Communication
Between the two Countries, as
NJ. Bentheim Explains.

M. Bentheim Explains,
Atlanta, Ga, Sept 4.-The gentleman
who claims to know how the French |
War Office secrets reached Germany
and the names of those instrumental
in their transfer from France was seen
today by the Atlanta representative of
the Associated Press. All the matter
given in the Jewish Sentiment story
sent out in these dispatches Thursday
night was gone over and substantiated
as far as possible and much informal
tion tending to amplify and to elucidate
statements there made was obtained.
The additional and highly interesting
information was elected that the letter
heads and envelopes of the consular seals
of the United States Government were
used as safeguard in transmitting the
War Office documents from that country
to Germany. and also that one of the
chief actors i'll the underground" sys-
tenn at the time the traffic in French
War Office merchandise was going ON
held the position of United States Vice
Consul in little German city. The
Informant gives his name as Charles
E Bentheim and his discharge papers,
which are regular and duly signed, show
that he was Il private in Company NJ,
Two Hundred and Second New York
volunteers during the war with Spain.
He was made brigade clerk to General
w. G. Oates, and accompanied the Two
Hundred and Second New York to Cuba.
He was the only man of that regiment
who was mustered out in Washington.
The paper to the Adjutant Generals
office in Washington recommending his
discharge is duly signed by William IL.
Horton, Assistant Adiutant General,
First Brigade, Third division, Second
Army Corps.
Since he left the service of the United
States Benthem has been travelling over
the South, and is at present on his way
from Montgomery to Washington, where
he says he will visit the sculptor, Tren-
tanove. Bentheim~ says he has no inter
est i'm the matter and wishes no mo-
toriety.
"The obtaining of intelligence re-
garding tlfe French army and navy,
said Bentheim, was operated by the
secret service department of the I'M
peria lAAIinistry of Marine. When doc
ument was obtained from any of the
officers in Paris it was taken to Prince
Heinrich Hans Pless, the German rep
resentative in Paris. Through him it
went to the house of one Of his sweet
hearts, where a copy of it was made. A
few hours later the original papers were
returned TO the office from whence they
came. The next move was to get these
papers to Berlin. Herr Franz, toy
manufacturer at Sonneberg, Germany,
aided in this. He would send dolls to
Paris to be dressed. In the body of these
little playthings the copies of drawings
and descriptive notes We're placed From
Paris they were sent by post to Holme-
rook, a village in England. Here an
other agent was located. He was Herr
Lindau, at that time a partner in some
mining operations being carried on there.
Iinda,l remailed the dolls to Herr Franz
at Sonneberg and once there they were
safe From Sonneberg they were
brought to the Great Headquarters by
Herr Franz, where l translated many
descriptions
Herr Alvin Florschuetz, a bank di-
rector of Sonneberg, was also in the
scheme He was the United States
vice consul there"
"Was the doll plan the only modus
operandi for communication between the
two countries?"
"Oh, no., replied Mr.. Bentheim
'"Several times / received documents
of this kind in the regular United
States consular envelope. l remember
it distinctly The correspondence which
was carried on between the few people
regarding the War Office traffic was al
ways done on letter heads bearing the
one line inscription United States Con-
sulate, Sonneberg,' Nearly all the de-
scriptions of war vessels, new inveu-
tionS, armor plate, etc, We're on letter
heads bearing the inscription 'Ministere
de la Marine Paris or Minister de la
Guerre Paris Whenyer Frigate Cap
tain Sige, who was in charge of this
work at Berlin went out on scouting
trip by himself he carried Il supply Of
United States stationery, and ! have
seen information from the French War
Office come into the staff headquarters
in an envelope bearing the consular seal
of the United States Government.
Mr.. Bentheim described minutely the
plan followed for the securing CT the
coveted information, and mentioned
many cases in point which were highly
interesting. He signi6ed his willingness
to 60 before a notary public and make
oath as to the truth Of his statements.