The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-16
FAY ADMITS BOMB
PLOT TO BLOW
UP SHIPS
To Destroy Vessels Carrying NUM-
lions to Allies
READY TO RECEIVE SENTENCE
Asks No Immunity and Makes Con-
fession >f His Own
Voiition.

New York, Nov. 16--Robert Fay,
sellstyled lieutenant in the German
army and by his own confession head
of q gang Of bomb-makers that sought
to destroy munltion-laden ships sail
ing from New York to the allies. told
the story of his life yesterday TO AS
sistant United States District Attom.
ey Knox Fay talked freely, fully and
voluntarily for five hours without in
terruption. What he said was not
made public, but at the conclusion Of
the session Mr.. Knox announced that
all Fay wanted 10 do now was to
plead guilty to the governments
charges against him and 20 to jail.
p. ]. Mcdonald. lawyer appointed
by the court to represent Fay, sought
to see his client in Mr. KnoX's office,
but failing, served on Mr.. Knox no
tioe OF his intent to demur the indict-
ment. Fay read the demurrer while
the lawyer waited outside and. accord
ing to Mr.. Knox, said he didn't want
to demur to the indictment or to do
anything else than to plead guilty and
start at once to serve his sentence.
Fays long talk with Mr. Knox was
made on his own solicitation and with
out promise of immunity or leniency.
The statement which the prisoner die
tated carried him back to Germany,
almost to the date of his birth. cover
ed the high lights of his service in
the German army, told in detail of
his alleged mission to America and
recited his movements and activities
here. Whether it was true in its es-
sentials,, District Attorney Marshall
said afterward had yet to be deter
mined, but in some respects it was
verified by the information that the
government lad collected from ether
sources. There is no doubt" Mr..
Marshall said That his name is Fay
and that he served in the German
army, As to the rest, we don't know.
His statement differs somewhat from
his previous story, but admits his
guilt OF the charges against him
What Fay told Mr.. Knox yesterday
leads back TO a source which already
has been traced TO another case un-
der investigation by tn government,
according to Roger Wood, an assist
ant in Mr.. Marshall's office. Mr..
Wood has prepared most of the cas-
es in the passport frauds and also pre-
pared the governments case against
Karl Buenz and other officials of the
Hamburg.American line, indicted on
charge OF conspiracy AID 10 be plac-
ed ontrial this we7k.
give Eases q. ~ sort lead back
to four sources said Mr Wood.
These are the Fay case, the Buenz
case and the three passport fraud cas-
es. In none OF ths cases did tue actu-
al defendants know waat the deferd-
ants in the other cases were dong.
The four sources, however, directing
these five cases were very close togeth
er--very,l 1t is my belief that these
four men all reported t. aud took
their orders from L lltth maa who
was the director of all the trouble of
this sort in the United States
"If you could prove this" Mr.,
Wood was asked would you or
could you prosecute this fifth man.
"All | can say to that" he replied
is that under the law we cannot
prosecute any diplomatic representa-
i've of foreign country"
When Fay ended his long state
ment yesterday he was taken back to
the Tombs, to remain there till today,
when he viii! be questioned by Mr..
Knox. The statement of yesterday
was made without interruption by
questioning or prompting. 1t contain
ed many leads. it is said, about which
the governments lawyers want infor-
nation.
Both Mr. Marshall and Mr. Knox
declined to say if any one else were
implicated in Tdys new statement,
Fay has been somewhat of a puzzle
to them both and it was intimated
that this statement would not be ac-
cepted without full yerifcation AS
it stands now, however, it is unlikely
that there will be other arrests ia the
alleged plot. at least until Fay's lat
est confession is corroborated, if
then.