The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-19
BANK CLERK HELDAS SPY


B%ernstorn, the German Ambassador, but
II also was asserted that In all this work
he had acted clearly and had don only
things which were above reproach. II
also was asserted that Koenig had been
employed In confidential matters for the
Austro-flunearian Consul In this city.
reporting directly to DR.. Alexander Won
Nubsr on those commissions.
The grasp which Koenig got upon
certain sources OF information In ne
National City Bank has led the In
vestigators to believe that he acted
there under the advice Of a skilled
cier who knew exactly the spot In such
IA banking Institution that could AFFORD
the widest possible view Of a. multitude
of things within a short compass.
Schleindl has confessed In Part to
the police. He was arrested when he
had In his pocket certain letters belong
ing to the National City Bank. He
had a cablegram In duplicate from the
Isanuue Beige Pour Etrangers In re-
alton to a shipment Of 100000 rifles
hat were being handled through the
Hudson Trust Company.
schleindl held n position in the foreign
department Of the bank. where he anne
in contact with all matters dealing with
the purchase Of supplies In this country
by the Allies. He was able to procure
for Koenig to return for a payment Of
S25 a week-and this was the highest
salary that Koenig paid to any OF his
workers-all the cable messages sent by
the Allied Governments to the bank.
For instance. he picked up a cable mes
sage from the Russian Government.
dir ting the National City Bank TO
place at the disposal Of Col. Golejewski,
the Russian Naval Attache and member
OF the Russian purchasing commission.
many millions Of dollars. That message
he turned over to koeniR. who Quickly
copied Il and returned II to Schleindl
This gathering Of information In the
bank had another important phase. All
the manufacturers Of munitions OF war
are paid upon receipt by the bank of
hills OF lading showing their shipment
by railroad or their arrival at ports OF
departure. Those bills give an itemized
list OF the articles and the countries
to which they were destined and the
ships that were to carry them. All this
information was copied. 1t is said. by
Schleindl and turned over to Koenig.
ship Mystery Near Solution.
The discovery Of this leak from the
National City Bank q given hope to
the authorities that they may solve one
Of the most puxzling things that they
have had to face In attempting to learn
how the men who placed fire bombs
and explosive bombs on ships bound for
Europe could hit SO accurately on g me
Of the most valuable ships. For In
stance. when the steamship Minnehaha
sailed from this port o N July 4 she
carried in hold No. 2 thousands Of
magnetos that would have been Of
grea. use to the Allies In eouipping auto
mobiles az the front. II seems that
prior to that the German agents had
lt.al . aahA,, ~ ,rrnrktpD u 80
the magnetos In the auto turks shipped
from this country or had In many In
stances stolen the magnctos. leaving the
vehicles practically useless.
When, therefore. the Allies ordered a
big shipment of magnetos, the Germans
knew Immediately of the hIing Of the
order. At any rate. one of the most
powerful bombs that was exploded In
any Of the enemy's ships was exploded
In the hold of the Minnehaha on July
:, almost wrecking the vessel, and she
was compelled to put into Halifax. where
she was examined by Detective George
Barnitz of Capt. Tunney's bomb squad.
An inquiry at Rochester. from where
the shipment WAS made. revealed no
source Of information a. the shipping
clerk did not know where the magnetos
were going. The only person outside Of
the officers who did know was the man
who wrote the letter to the National City
Bank enclosing the bills Of lading. show.
ing that the magnetos were to 60 to
New York.
II Is said that this method OF obtaln In
ing information about the shipments has
been seize-l upon by Koenig In many
other instances. What he did with the
information has not been told by the
authorities. VINO have delved into
Koenig's papers and who have received
confessions from both Fuchs. an aid OF
koenig's, and Metzler, Koenigs private
secretary.
Though the Federal agents and the
police have been trailing koenig fou
months. they never got an mixing of the
TACT that he was getting letters and data
from the National City Bank. The frs,
hint was obtained from Fuchs, who
told them about a young fellow
Schleindl IS 23-who often visited
Koenig and who turned over to koenie
various papers which Fuchs and Metzlei
spent hours in copying In triplicate. In
curry was made at the ban and a list
a the members OF the foreign depart.
ment was obtained. But the identity OF
the man was not absolutely learned unit
Metzler confessed IL.
Detective Barnitz was sent out ant
arrested Schleindl on a short aff'dav!
ut 6 o'clock at his home In The Bronx
a%rraigning him in the morning befor'
Magistrate Nolan. In the Tombs court
StIiVltlil was hti' III W. O"ii ~
examination tomorrow. Before ant
after his arraignment he talked freel!
10 the police and told OF his employ
inent by koenig.
Schleindl came to this country sew
eral years ago. He went to work 70
Ladennurg. Thalman 4 Co. In 1912. pro
ducing first class recommendations from
Arms abroad. He was made a~ssistan
bookkeeper at SIS a week. AccordinI
to Walter 7. Rosen. member OF the firm
Schleindl worked with the concern unit
II short time after the war broke out
Then he obtained n position with tn
National City Bank. getting a recon
mendatlon from Ladenburg, Thalma
Co
George F.. Gregory. cashier of tn
National City Bank. explained yester
day that the institution had n hundre
clerks in the foreign department. O
whom many were Of foreign blood.
Mt. ~GreROry's Explanation.
1--WE have a number Of nationalities,
said Mr.. Gregory. I'VE have some Ger
man clerks and some of them have bee