Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-12-16
PLOTS To DESTROY
THREE j. s. PLANTS
Arms Works at Indiana and Mich
igan Escape Bombs.
PLANS REVEALED AT FRISCO
Alleged Conspirators Released on S10,-
600 Bonds-Witness Says Teuton
Hired Him to Make Bombs for
500 Each.

San Francisco, Dec. 15.-Plans for
the destruction of munition plants at
Aetna, Ind, and Ishpeming, Mich,
were revealed here when there were
made public the details of indictments
returned against three alleged con-
spirators in German plots.
Gary, Ind, and Pinole, Cal, also were
suggested to an alleged agent of the
conspiracy as a fertile field for sim
liar work. Two fires and explosions
occurred later at Pinole in the plant of
the Hercules Powder company The
letters containing these plans were
three, alleged to have been written to
Louis J. Smith, witness for the govern
ment against Baron George Wilhelm
Won Brincken. Charles c. Crowley, a
detective employed by the German con-
sul-generaI, and Mrs. Margaret Cornell.
Crowley's employee, are the three per
sons indicted.
Released on $4,000 Bonds.
All appeared for arraignment on the
two counts of each Indictment and
were released on bail bond of $4,000
each
The indictments charged conspiracy
to interfere with and destroy com
meTce with the allies and use of the
mails to incite arson, murder and assas-
sination
Specific charges were made that the
three alleged plotteTs cOnspired by
sending a letter from this city August
to Louis J. Smith at the Normandie
Motel, Detroit, Mich, in an attempt to
incite him to arson, murder and assas-
sinatiOn by burning certain buildings
at Aetna, Ind, owned by the Aetna
Chemical company, and works and
buildings at Ishpeming, Mich, owned
by the Aetna Explosive company of
New York.
Lives Were Also involved.
The indictments allege that the let
ter was of a character to incite Smith
to destroy employees in the buildings.
The conspiracy was alleged to have
had its inception here May 1, 1915,
and numerous dates and incidents and
the contents of letters were set forth
Smith was alleged to have been en-
plOyed by the defendants at $500
month to further the conspiracy on
May s. The following day Crowley
was alleged to have paid Smith $3.50
to go to Tacoma, Wash, to obtain in
formation concerning the sailings of
vessels from northern ports for Vladi-
V0stok, Russia, and other ports of the
allies The vessels under scrutiny in
cluded the steamers Hazel Dollar and
Talthybius.
One Of the letters sent out in the in
dictments and signed &C." was dated
here August y, 1915, and contained
clipping telling Of SO per cent wage in
crease to employees of the Aetna
works.
August Il the defendants were al
legged to have put in the mail a letter
of a nature to incite Smith to burn
buildings of the Hercules Powder
company at Pinole, Cal.
Put Up to Won Papen, Charge.
There were negotiations concerning
the destruction of the Pinole plant, &C,
cording 20 federal officials, who said
session of the government showed that
Smith fixed a price for the Job" and
that the matter was put up" to Franz
Won Papen, recalled military attache of
the German embassy at Washington
A letter in which reference was
made to these negotiations was includ-
ed in the indictments.
New Evidence From Canada.
Possession of evidence by the gov
eminent in the alleged German bomb
plots, which federal officials say is
the most vital in the case of any yet
discovered" became known through
the report Of testimony alleged to have
been given by Johannes Henrikus van
Koolbergen, now in Canada.
According to reports, Van Kool-
bergen was alleged to have represent
ed to agents of the department of JUS
tice that German official here. en-
plOyed him to act in violation of the
neutrality laws and that Won Brincken.
whom he knew during the Boer war,
hired him to make cIockwork bombs
in thermOs bottles at 500 a bomb with
a bonus for each ship destroyed.
Van Koolbergen also alleged, it was
said, that he was employed to dyna-
mite railroad trestle in Canada over
which supply trains passed and that
he received $3.50 from Won Brincken
and $500 from representative at the
German consulate for expenses when
he produced clippings from Canadian
newspapers to show the trestIe had
been destroyed.