Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-10-26
SEE MYSTERY IN
FATAL AUTO TRIP
OF HOBOKEN MEN
Ali Wore German Iron Rings
and Were Bound Toward
Wireless Station.

special 10 the Evening star.
HOBoKEN, Oct. 26.-The four VIC
tins of the Hampstead, Long Island,
automobile disaster late Friday night
will be buried together tomorrow at
Fairview Cemetery from Volk's
morgue, this city. Three of the men
will be buried in one plot Charles
Mayer will be buried beside his wife,
who died some years ago.
There is an element of mystery in
the mission of the party in Long
Island Friday night.
1t is being said that their objective
point was the wireless station at
Sayville, which can communicate di-
reetly with Germany, and that their
business was in connection with the
German government.
-Four of the men killed wore new,
tightly laced khaki leggins, as
though they expected to walk
through underbrush or bramble. The
wireless station at Sayville is sur
rounded by such underbrush.
Another matter that added to the
mystery was that r. j. Gassmann,
the only man not killed, was removed
early yesterday from the Nassau
Hospital at Mineola, in unusual cir
cumstances. DIR. J. c. Saar, jr., OF
Bloomfield street, this city, took him
away In an automobile. although the
hospital physicians protested that
Gassmann was in danger of death.
The Hampstead police also learned
that the FIVE Germans left HobolSen
about . o'clock Friday night, bound
for Sayville, and that they had been
followed all the way by two men ON
motorcycles. At first 1t was believed
these followers were policemen. but
today it WAS said they were not such
but probably had the men In the au-
tcmobile under surveillance, and
were following them closely.
These two men disappeared imme-
diately after the accident. They
were among the first to call for help,
but they had gone when the Hemp
stead police arrived.
1t is believed here that these two
men were either detectives employed
to maintain United States neutrality
or spies employed by the enemies of
Germany.
All of the five men in the automo-
bile were well dressed, and none had
less than 5000 in his pockets, while
Wilhelm Matthiesen, whose real
name, 1t develops, is August Lam
ganke, had the iron cross. He and
Heinrich Giegler lived temporarily at
the Central Hotel, Hobolxen, conduct
cd by August Moos, all of whom were
killed in the accident. Langanke
came to this country from Mexico
where he had been acting as the valet
of Vice Admiral Hintz, former Ger
man ambassador to Mexico. He is
now awaiting the return Of his chief
from Germany.
The other man killed, Charles
Mayer, a Gefman wine importer
lived at So Garden street, Hoboken
All had iron rings, indicating they
had given funds to the German war
cause.
Langanke was said to have been
the leader of the party. Giegler was
employed on board the Vaterland,
which has been tied up at Hoboken
since the war began. Gassmann,
whose automobile was used and
wrecked, is a furnace contractor In
Hoboken and prominent in German
affairs.
One United States navy lieutenant
is always on duty at the sSayville
wireless, station as official censor to
prevent the sending of messages vio-
lating United States neutrality. Last
night, it was said, two lieutenants
were on duty and q guard had been
established at the station,