New-York tribune., 1915-03-17
Chief COnspirator Turns
States EVidence-Men-
tiOnS Kaiser.
FALSE BIRTH PAPERS
COST PRISONER S100
European Phase Of Case Omit
ted as Witness Tells Of Parts
Co defendants Played.

day BY Richard Peter Stegler on the
witness stand IL the United States
court. Ills testimony was given in the
trial of Richard Madden and Gustave
Cook. Of Hcboken, who were indicted
with Steglcr
After Judge Cushman granted the
request Of Assistant United states At
torncy Roger y. Wood 20 have Stcgler
tried separately, the chief consplrator
i'm the plot turned against his com
panions and alleged that Madden sold
his birth certificate for mess OF
grcenbacks.
Cook and Madden sat at their coun-
SELL table and glarcd at the tall, sharp
visaged Stegler who wore dark SUIT
cloth topped shoes, and showed an eH-
panse of white socks as he sat cross
legged in the witness chair. lie eX-
hibited signs of uneasincss only when
Charles A. OberWagcr, counsel Tor inc
other two defendants. sought to dis
credit his character by references to
his matrimoni experiences. Ihese
District Attorney Wood was generally
successful ia blocking.
The jury was selected IN the morn
! ing session, and upon rcconyeninG IN
/ the afternoon all doubts a. 10 whether
Stegler would turn states evidence
were scattered when he was called as
/ tho first witness. In his story all refer
/ ences to the persons behind him and
I the real purpose of his trip to Europe
+ were omitted. Thk name OF Captain
i Rov-Ed. the German Naval Attache,
/ vas not referred to. although the
/ Kaiser received mention.
/ Stegler said he was thirty-threc
years old. born in Hanover, Germany'
! and came to the United States IN l3lV'
/ lie said he had known Gustsvc Cook
/ for year and half, and MADDEN
/ since February ~.
He wanted papers upon Whlch nc
could get a passport, the witness sald
no told Cook, and the latter agreed 10
/ find him man who could supply the
documents. That was Washington'S $
RirthJay. he asserted, and the alter
noon of the same day he was miro
duccd to Madden in a Hobokeu care;
/ lie promised TO give Cook so, ana pald
! him $40 on account. o.
Madden was promised 500 Tor ihe
papers indicating that Stcgier, was
horn i'm the United states. Nhch
meeting took place. at when M2uue'l
was TO deliver the document, ne hahd-
ed Steglcr n certificate oil paptsnl
signed by Catholic priest.
II do not want to see the rope
want to see the Kaiser Stegler sald
he told Madden as he gave PACK the
paper. The latter offered TO get MN
the naturalization papers OF a former
German citizen. but Stegler said that
the name WAS too obviously Teutoni(
and might defeat his purpose. Madden
at a later. meeting produced a copy ol
his own birth certificate. taken IRON
the county records, and with this Steg
ler departed for New York
Winning a Passport.
In New York Stegler said he went tc
the Office of Dingelstedt & Co, customs
brokers. at 2l State Street, for identi
fcation as Richard Madden" ant
that Mr.. Leonhardt accompanied hin
to the passport bureau in the Feder"
Building, where he swore that he wa:
acquainted with him.
Mr.. Oberwager then undertook t'
cross examine the witness.
Stegler denied that the securing o
the passport by fraudulent representa-
tions was part of an effort to dl5
credit Secretary Of State Bryan. l'
also declared that the interview
printed in "The New York American
while he was in the Tombs mad no
been written by him. He was given
position on that paper the day betor'
he was arrested, he declared. ana 10
his first weeks salary of S25 and
SO expense allowance he received II
: advance he signed a receipt, he de
clared. That was the way the pape
obtained his signature, he said.
, 30
Ter said that he had been married II
1905 in Germany, and that his VIII
died few years later. He was married
again on December 7. 1914. he said.
Did you have any children afte
your first MARRIAGE
NO" replied Stegler.
He added that it was untrue that
New York clergyman whom he hat
known in Germany had refused t.
marry him last year because he had
; wife living, or that he was ever en-
gagged to marry a girl in Maiden, Mass
- Stegler said that he had lost his posi-
tion with the Keuffel & Esser Com
panv. az Hoboken, because he had Dor
rowed SO from younger cmploye an
l did not repay him promptly.
q "TIow did you become acqualnte'
/ with Cook" asked Oberwager.
.. do not recall exactly, but | -
lieye | met him on the street." Steg
p Ter replied.
) as il the usual thing here to sto
! people in the street and talk TO them
t Oberwager wanted to know.
WELL" answered the witness, "Ho
boken is a different state
Stegler admitted that he mew n
was swearing falsely when he sgne
Richard Madden's name to the applIca
tlon for a passport as his own AM
that il was not his intention 10 so L
, Holland or 10 Norway.
b Passport Fraud in Vain.
The witncss's reason for changin
his mind about using his passport III
trip abroad was not brought out u
, court. He admitted having told IN
, story of how he got it, however mrs
to T.. B. Harrington, OF II Batter
Place. 10 whom he went for advice, AM
10 Henry /. Stoddard, of The Even
ing Mail" Mr.. Stoddard heard what b
/ had 10 relate, and then gave him 10
. distributing circulars. Then he mad
itbe agreement with "Thc American
= 10 give IL the story, and the next da
he was arrested az his home, at - -
Nicholas Terrace. IN this city.
An intimaton that there may be NJ
International aspects 10 the case wa
drawn from the statement which A'
= sistant District Attorney Wood made u
addressing the jury. ,
;. "The issue 10 be tried" he declared
sis whether these men obtained pass
= norts by fraud. and IL does not mat
- oh a. country thew were lntcnde