New Britain herald., 1915-03-31

 FIRE TO LA ToURA|NE
Raymond SW0boda Arrested ia Hotel by Paris Authorities.
 LEITERSPONI STRONG LY TO CULT
Prisoner, Suspected of Having Close Relations With Germans. Profcsse5 10 Be An American of Independent Means from New York

to Be An American of independent
 Means from New York.
 Paris, March 31, 5:10 A.. May mond SWoboda one of the passen- gers aboard the French line steamship La Touraine, which was impeliled by 2 fire at sea on March 6, has been arrested charged with setting fire to the vessel, according to the Matin.
 Swoboda, the paper asserts, is sus- pected of having "close relations with the enemy and correspondence found in his rooms is said to indicate he had been charged with the task of blowing up the Touraine. He has been taken to Havre.
 Caused by Explosion.
 Investigations made by experts ap- pointed by Admiral Charlier, who is conducting the inquiry into the steam ship fire, has established, it is said, the fact that the blaze aboard the Touraine must have been caused by the explosion of some detonating de- vice. Statements made by passen- gers and members of the crew SUD- bort this theory. The explosion was sufficiently violent to wrench loose the doors of cabins nearby. The au
 thorities believe the explosive had been placed with criminal intent in a trunk which was stored with the bags of first class passengers in number two holds.
 With this first report or experts at hand, the state attorney at Havre examined as many passengers as could be reached. The witnesses stated, according to the Matn, that they had been amazed at the state 1nent made one night during the voy- age by a fellow passenger, when they were discussing German threats to torpedo ships passing through the war zone. This passenger is quoted as i having remarked: "Oh, that isn't the only war zone that would be danger ous Germany is strong enough to dc what she wants. This snip herself even before she reaches the war zone might be obliged to have recourse to the doctors and nurses aboard to care for the passengers.
 Of Considerable Importance.
 Only passing heed, however, was given to this assertion when 1t was made but in view of subsequent events it appeared to the Investigating attorney to have considerable import ance.
 The passenger in question, who was quoted as having boasted of Germany's power, was listed on the ships rec ords as Raymond Swoboda," 3S years old, an American subject, profession, financier, destination Paris
 Commissary Dubert attached to the secret service department of the min ister of the interior, undertook the task of tracing Swoboda. He found that the man was fairly well known in Paris financial circles and had been connected with several more or less important transactions He was sup posed to be Russian for he often spoke of his family connections at Petrograd and Moscow. He had served as a foreign representative for 9 broker named Morrison, who con Gucts one of the large brokerage houses in Paris.
 Manner Aroused Suspicion.
 None of Swoboda's business asso- ciates had seen him after the. arrival Of the Touraine at Havre, where she docked safely on March s, but Du- bert traced him to hotel in the Ave- nue--Kleber only to find that he had left ten days before, after a brief Stay. He remained there under the name of Raymond Swobida and pro- fessed to be an American of inde- pendent means who had come from New York on the Touraine. He had told the story of the fire in the hotel drawing room, but the secret service operative says he was told that Swob- idas manner had aroused some sus- Iicion and the other guests kept aloof from him. r
 He was traced to another hotel in the Place DeRivoli, where he was ar rested. When his room was searched , the police declare, letters written in German were found, which seemed to point strongly to his guilt. He was turned over to tho Havre police by the 1 Paris authorities.
 Honorable in Dealings. i
 Broker Morrison, when told of Swobida's arrest, expressed amaze mcnt. ''I had business relations with | Swobida," he said, but he always was perfectly honorable in his dealings with me. l knew that he formerly was employed in large Paris bank and l was not astonished at his wide lNowledge of finance. I know also e>at his business brought him large income"
 Applied for Passport.
 Washington. March 31.--Seach of state department records today re- Vealed that Raymond Swoboda made application for an American passport in New York on Feb 26. Swoboda gave his residence as San Francisco.