New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-04
GERMANS RALLY
TO AID VAN HORN
Bridge Wrecker Hailed as
Martyr-Plan Fund to
Fight Extradition.
BAGGAGE HERE MAY
HIDE ACCOMPLlCE
Bavarian Officers Belongings in
HobOken To Be Searched
Bernstorff Interested.

The fate Of Werner Van Horn the
Bavariln army officer Of reserve, VINO
ON Wednesday partly succeeded IN
blowing Mp the railroad bridge across
The ST. Croix River at VaHccDoro, Me-,
D., stirring local Germans to such an
extent that movement was started
yesterday to raise funds for his de-
fence.
Van Horn is regarded as martyr
and patriot by his cOuntrymen. they
believe that he rs not guilty OF any
criminal act On the contrary he IS
cons. lored as having done feat which
deserves commentator and Import.
Are not railroad bridges destroyed
quite frequently IN France, Russia and
Poland by one or the other member OF
the allied powers IN order 10 lnJure
the German cause and retard their et-
forts 20 bring up reinforcements 10 ad-
vance their positions ~ .nc Germans
argue.
Raise Fund to Aid Fight.
When it became known yesterday
hat the State Department would prop
ably not refuse extraditlon to the
Canadian authorities, various German
interests started campaign IN ms be-
half. While il was admitted that n
movement to give Van Horn financial
assistance had been rtar:ed, no details
were made known.
"There is no use talking about this
thing" one Of the leading spirits IN
the fight said yesterday. For some
.nexplicabIe reason Germans and theIr
cause are pcrsistently misunderstood
in this country. Apparently every
thing a German does is wrong. In the
court Of American public opinion a
German has no chance Whatever.
"Our object i'm helping Van Horn ~
two-fold In the first place he Is not
guilty Of a criminal offence such as the
Canadian government Is trying 20 press
against him for eXtradlt!oa purposes:
Il would be a reflection on all good
Germans TO have a man Ike him CON
demned as common dyhafniVihg
criminal And secondly. the disposal
Of his case b. the Washington authori-
ties will set Il precedent, which ought
70 be we'll established according to the
principles of international law and
ethics"
Several rumors were rife last night
about the ways in which local Germans
intend TO help Van Horn. 1t was
learned that several attaches OF .he
German Embassy who have been stay
ing in New York left the city yester--
day morning, one for Washington and
two. it was said, for Nanceboro.
Who will be employed TO fight extra
dition could not be learned. But 1t
was int,matcd that it would be a
Washington lawyer with reputation
for his knowledge on questions OF IN
ternational law.
Ii is understood that Count Johann
Won Bern storff hes unofficially in
CURED about the status Of the case a.
regarded by the State Department.
This was admitted By close persona.
friend of the ambassador.
Van Horn: attitude OF unconcerned
bravado in his cell in Nancebcro is
interpreted Hy Germans in this city
as an indication that he was well as
sured Of support and assistance before
ne left New York for the scene where
his political offence" was committed.
known Along White Way.
With the spread of the publication
of Van Horns act his circle of &C
quaintances in New York and vicin-
itv widened. lie was by no means
an unknown figure along the Great
White Way" and known in Hoboken,
Newark and Staten Island.
William RohlS, proprietor of the Arr
eta Hotel in Tompkinsville, Staten