East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-07-22
CHIEF HOTELMAH OF
PARIS CHARGED AS
BEING GERMAN SPY
ACCUSED or RECEIVING FINAN-
CIAL BACKING FORM GER
MAN SECRET SERVICE.
Great Hotel Astoria Thought To Have
Been Built at Kaiser's Dictation for
Royal Entry-Wheless Outfit on
Top of Structure Was Discovered.

preaching trial Of Arthur Geissler,
who has been jailed here on a charge
of embezzling 100000 belonging 70
the shareholders Of hotels in which
he is Interested
Gelssler was the biggest hotel man
in Paris In addition to the Astoria,
which was patronlzed by all the lead
ing American visitors he ran the
Campbell Malesherbes, Beausite. Co.
lumbia and D'Tutriche hotels in Paris,
the exclusive Roches Noires at Trou-
vile. and the fashionable Imperial at
Nice
Built for KaiseF's Entry.
What astonishes Paris business men
is the fact that 10 or 12 years ago
Geissler was penniless. They allege
that at least 10 years ago the German
secret service began TO finance him
with a view to enabling him to corner
the best hotels in Paris.
They further allege that it was on
the kaiser's own words that Ge,ssler
built the sumptuous Astoria in readi-
ness for the kaiser's triumphant entry
into Paris as conqueror. The staff Of
the hotel was exclusively German with
the exception of the chefs
Believed Secret Agent
These allegations constitute charge
that Geissler acted as a secret agent
on behalf Of Germany before and dur
ing the war. In fairness to him,
therefore, it must be added that no
publicity has been given to him.
He is not indeed, officially charged
with espionage. At the outbreak of
the war he was arrested on suspicion
Of having erected a wireless apparatus
on the roof Of the Astoria, which oc-
cupies a commanding position at the
/ top of the Avenue Des Champs -Elys-
ees, with the object of intercepting
official messages sent to and from the
4 Eiffel tower. but the charge failed
and he was lodged in a segregation
camp as an enemy alien.
/ Books Lead Him to Jail.
His hotels were sequestered, and
while verifying the books the govern
ment auditors discovered they had
been tampered with. Geissler was
thereupon arrested and transferred to
Paris Jail
i Incidents in his career are cited as
showing that he was in close touch
with the inner circles in Berlin. head
ed by hSkaiser, which rules the des-
TIMES Of the central empires. Geissler
was persona sFata at the German en-
bassy, and even attended official re-
4 ceptions. All his hotels he stated
with Germans, except the kitchens
and whenever complaints were made,
it is said, Geissler refused to dispense
with the erring servant.
Staff of German Agents.
/ This put touch of mystery to his
affairs, and they now rush to the con-
1 clusion that his big staff were secret
German service agents. Baron Won
Sheen, German ambassador here when
the war broke out, used this Astoria
as his residence before taking over
his official mansion.
French officials now claim to have
found evidence that the Astoria was
to be used by the kaiser on his expect
ed arrival in Paris at the head of his
troops last August, and that a great
banquet was ordered for the third
week in August, when, according to
the German time table. Paris was to
be taken.