Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-05
AMERICAN CONSUL INVOLVED.
Further Interesting Details of the
Berlin secret Service.

Atlanta, Ga. Sept. 5-The man wht
claims to know how the French war of.
nee secrets reached Germany and the
names OF those instrumental in thei,
transfer from France was seen yester.
day by the Atlanta representative O,
the Associated Press. The additional
and highly interesting information was
ehcited that the letterheads, envelopes
and consular seals of the United States
government were used as a safeguard
in transmitting the French war Office
documents from that country to Ger
many and also that one of the chief ac-
tors In the Underground" system at the
time the traffic in French war Office
merchandise was going on held the po-
sition of United States vice consul in a
little German city
The informant gives his name as
Charles e. Eentheim, and his discharge
papers, which are regular and duly
signed, show that he was a private in
Company M, Two Hundred and Second
New York Volunteers during the war
with Spain. He was, he says not at
company drill over ten times, but was
put In the commissary department and
later transferred to HEADQUARTERS diyis-
ION, where he became brigade clerk. He
accompanied the Two Hundred and
Second New York to Cuba. and in adj
dition to duty as brigade clerk was
called upon to perform the duties of
stenographer at the courts martial held
from time to time at Pinar del Rio.
Where the New York regiments was sta
TONED. Bentheim is an artist, and this
is the avocation given in his discharge
papers.
II was born in Denver, Col.,'' he says,
and when quite young was sent to
Paris to be educated. l went TO sew
eral countries on the continent pursuing
my studies, and finally to Germany.
Here was employed about four hours
each day as translator of documents
and map-engraver, and was in the
Headquarters of the general staff at
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, Berlin. The OBJ
tanning of intelligence regarding the
French army and navy was operated by
the secret service department of the i'm
perial ministry of marine. When doc
ument was obtained from the office of
the minister of marine or the war de-
partment in Paris 1t was taken to
Prince Heinrich Hans Pless, the Ger
man representative in Paris. Through
him 1t Went to the house of one of his
sweethearts, where copy was made
A few hours later the original paper
was returned to the Office from whence
II came. The next move was to get
these papers to Berlin. Herr Franz, a
toy manufacturer at Sonneberg Ger
many, aided in this. He would send
dolls to Paris to be dressed In the
body Of these little playthings these
copies of drawings and descriptive
notes We're securely sewed. From Paris
they We're sent by post to Holmrook a
village in England. Here another agent
was located. He was Herr Lindau, at
that time partner in some mining OPP
erations being carried on there. Lindau
performed his duty of remailing the doll
messengers to Herr Franz, at Some
berg. Herr Alvin Florschuetz. a bank
director of Sonneberg, was also in the
scheme, All this time the traffic in war
office merchandise. as it was known,
was going on. Herr Florscheutz was
vice consul of the United States
Mr. Bentheim was asked who handled
the money for the maintenance of this
information bureau. His reply was:
Capt. Sigl handed all money for this
merchandise. as they termed it, to Herr
Fiorscheutz. Emperor William did not,
of course, have any direct dealings
with those who did the work, but knew
where the money went. The money, as
j have said, was paid from the secret
service fund of the ministry of marine
and / can recollect now that $4,000 or
Its equivalent in German money passed
into the hands of Florscheutz and
Franz and Some money was paid them
personally in the war office in Berlin.
This money went into the hands of the
workers. through a postoffice in the
American quarter of Paris. Every six
months remittances are made anony-
mously to the Baroness de Delden
through the Credit Lyonnais in Paris"
Mr. Bentheim was questioned as to
his reason for leaving Germany, and his
reply was to the effect that a quarrel
with the emperor over another matter
caused it. He was arrested and placed
in the fortress at Potsdam. AT that
time he continued, Il did not have my
passports on my person, but sent word
to Mr. Chapman Coleman, then secre-
tary of the embassy at Berlin, who
came quickly to my assistance. and it
being proved that ] was an American
citizen / was released and soon after
left the country