The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-08
THE SECRET SERVICE
Between Officers at Ber-
lin aud Paris.
TESTIMONY OF AN AGENT.

Envelope and Letserhead Of United
Consulate Used N a Blind by the Gers
man Spies-Firyt Reliance on Foreign
Testimony by the Prosecution.
Atlanta, Ga, September 4.-The
gentleman who claims TO know how
the French war Office secrets reach
ed Germany and the names of those
instrumental in their transfer from
France was seen today by the At
lanta representative Of the Associated
Press. All the matter given in the J w
ISL Sentiment story sent out in these
dispatches Thursday night was gone
over and substantiated as far as S
sible and much information tending 10
amplify and % elucidate statements
there made was obtained. The addi-
tional and highly interesting informa-
ton was elected that the let.erheads,
envelopes and consular seals cf the
United States government were Used
as a safeguard in trans hitting the
French wal Office documents from that
SOOACIs W oOl1zDdus, dllu dlSO ludL OuG
of the chief actors in the under
ground" system at the time the traffic
IN French var Office merchandise was
going on held the position of United
! States vice counsel in a little German
city. The informant gives his name
as Charles E. Bentheim md his dis
charge papers, which are regular al
duly signed, show that he was a private
in company NJ, Two Hundred and Sec
ond New York volunteers during the
| war with Spain. He was made brigade
clerk to General w. C.. Oates and &C.
companied the Two Hundred and Sec
ond New York to Cuba. He was the
only man of that regimen: who was
mustered out in Washington. The pa
per to the adjutant generals office in
Washington recommending his dis
charge was duly signed by William E.
Horton, assistant adjutant general,
! First brigade Third division, Second
army corps.
Since he left the service of the Unit
! ed States, Bentheim has been travelling
over the south and is at present on his
| Way from Montgomery to Washington,
where he says he will visit the sculp-
tor, T~rentanove. Bentheim says he has
no interest in the matter and wishes TO
| nOtoriety.
"The obtaining of intelligence re-
garding the French army and navy"
said Bentheim, was operated by the
secret service department of the impe-
rial ministry of marine When a docu-
ent was obtained from I'M of the Off
! GERS in Paris lit 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 was made. A few
hours later the original papers were re-
turned to the office from whence they
came. The next move was to get these
papers to Berlin. Herr Franz, a toy
manufacturer at ~Sonneberg, Germany.
aided in this. He would send dolls to
Paris to be dressed. In the body Ct
these little play things copies of draw
ings and descriptive notes Were placed.
From Paris they We're sent by post to
Ho1mrook, a village in England. Here
another agent was located. He was
Herr Lindau, at that time a partner in
some mining operations being carried
on there. Lindau remailed the dolls to
Herr Franz at Sonneberg and once
there they were safe. From Some
! berg they were brought to the great
headquarters by Herr Franz, where l
translated many descriptions.
Herr Alvin F~lorschuetz, a bank di-
rector of S~onneberg, was also in the
scheme. He was the United States vice
counsel there"
WAS the doll plan the only modus
operandi for communicating between
the two cOuntries?"
gENL -- 1Tr D1~x14,-
Several times I received documents
of this kind in the regular United
States consular envelope. I remember
it distinctly. The correspondence which
was carried on between the few people
regarding the wal Office traffic was al
: ways done ON letterheadS bearing the
one line inscription United States con-
sulate, S~onneberg-' Nearly all the de-
scriptios of war vessel new inven-
tons, armorplate, ETC., weo on letter
heads bearing the inscription 'MiniStere
de la Marine, Paris or 'Ministere lie
la Guerre, Paris Whenever frigate
Captain SigiL, who was in charge Of
this work at Berlin, went out on a
scouting trip by himself he carried 4
supply of United States stationery and
| have seen information from the
French war Office come into b STAN
Headquarters in an envelope bearing
the consular seal of the United States
government"
Mr.. Bentheim described infinitely the
plan followed for the securing OF the
! coveted information and mentioned
many cases in point which Were highly
interesting. He signified his willingness
to go before a notary public and make
oath as to the truth of his statements.
HoW,s ThfL7
We offer One Hundred Dollars Re
Mard for anx case of Catarrh hat can.