The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-04-07
TRIED TO BURN LINER
ARREST AMERICAN
on WEDNESDAY.
Charged With Effort to Destroy the
La Touraine, a Transatlantic Lin
er, Imperilling Passengers.

A Paris dispatch Wednesday says
Raymond Swodcba, one of the passen-
gers aboard the French line steam
ship La Touraine, which was imperil-
led by a fire at sea on March 6, has
been arrested charged with setting
fire to the vessel, according to the
Matin'
Swodoba, the paper asserts, IS sus-
pected of having "close relations
with the enemy" and correspondence
found in his rooms is said to indicate
he. had been charged with the task of
blowing up the Touraine. He has
been taken to Havre.
Investigation by experts appointed
by Admiral Charlier, who is conduct
ing the inquiry into the steamship
fire, has established, it is said, that
the blaze aboard the Touraine must
have been caused by the explosion OF
some decorating device.
Statements made by passengers
and members of the crew support this
theory. The explosion was sufficient
| ly violent to wrench loose the doors
Of cabins nearby. The authorities be-
lieve the explosive had been placed
with criminal intent in trunk stored
with the baggage Of first class pas
sengers in No. 2 hold.
Passengers examined by the state
attorney at Havre are said to have
testified that they had been amazed
at a statement made one night dur
ing the voyage by a fellow passenger
when they were discussing German
threats to torpedo ships in the war
zone. This passenger is quoted as
having remarked: "Oh, that isn't
the only war zone that would be dan
gerous; Germany is strong enough to
do what she wants. This ship her
self, even before she reaches the war
zone, might be obliged to have re-
course to the doctors and nurses
aboard to care for the passengers.
Only passing heed was given this
assertion, but in view Of subsequent
events it appeared to have consider
able importance. The passenger quot
ed as boasting Of Germany's power
was listed on the shiO's records as
"Roymond Swodoba, SO years old, an
American subject, profession, fnan-
cier; destination, Paris"
Commissary Dubert, attached to
the secret service, undertook the task
of tracing Swoboda. He found the
man was fairly we'll known in Paris
financial circles, and had been con-
nected with several more or less i'm
portant transactions. He was sup
posed to be a Russian, for he often
spoke of his family connections ct
Petrograd and Moscow. He had serv-
ed as foreign representative for a
brober named Morrison. who conducts
one of the large brokerage houses in
Paris.
None of Swodoba's business asso-
associateswJ yR .ighmhy!M fl .Rt
ciates bad seen him after the arrival
Of the Touraine at Havre, March 8,
but Dubert traced him to a hotel in
the Avenue K1eber, only to find that
he had left 10 days before after a
brief stay. He registered there as
RAYMOND Swoboda. an American. and
told the story Of the Tourai1e fire in
{ hotel drawing room. His man
+, however, aroused some suspi-
| clon. and the other guests kept aloof
from him.
He was traced to another hotel in
the Place de Rivoli. where he was ar
rested. When his room was searched
the police declare a number Of letters
| written in German were found. which
seemed to point strongly to his guilt
He was turned over to the Havre po-
| lice by the Paris authorities.