Evening star., 1915-01-03
GERMANS JAILED,
ARE ACCUSED Of
PASSPORT FRAUDS
Carl Ruroede and John Aucher
Charged With Conspiracy
by U. S. Officials.
FOUR SOLDIERS TAKEN
OFF NORWAY STEAMER
Lieut.. >Saehse Paroled on Word of
Honor, But Three Reservists
Are Locked Up.
EACH HAD SPURIOUS PAPERS
Obtained by Americans and Furnish
ed to Holders Through New
York Agency-More Ar
rests to Be Made.
FOUR SOLDIERS TAKEN
OFF NORWAY STEAMER
EACH HAD SPURIOUS PAPERS

NEW YORK, January Am alleged
conspiracy to furnish German army Of
ficers and reservists with American
passports. fraudulently obtained, to en-
able them to return to Germany from
this country without danger of moles-
tation by French or English authori-
ties, was brought to light today by the
Department of Justice.
The disclosure came with the arrest
late this afternoon of Carl Ruroede. a
former agent for the North German
Lloyd steamship line. and with the re-
mcval rom the outward bound steamer
Bergensfjord of German army Off
and three German reservists All
OF them were charged with conspiracy
to defraud the United States govern
ment through the use of American
passports.
The four soldiers were taken off the
steamer, which was bound for Bergen,
Norway. just as she was passing quar-
antine. and brought back to New York
on a revenue cutter. All four bore
Photographic passports. issued by the
State Department to Americans and al
Ruroede. Other arrests are expected
in the near future. one, prominent
German-American in this city.
Held in $40, GOO Bonds.
Euroede said tonight. according to
agents of the Department of Justice
who questioned him, that whatever he
had done had been on his own initia
tive and was inspired by patriotic
motives He was held in $4,000 bail,
which he was unable to furnish to-
night. With him was arrested John
Aucher. his alleged associate, who was
also held in $4,000 bail. and Ruroede's
seventeen-year-o son, who was re-
leased Oh his own recognizance.
The German army officer, Lieut..
Arthur Wilhelm Heinrich Sachse. was
paroled on his honor "as an officer and
gentleman not to leave New York
city during the pendency of the pres
ent proceedings. The three reservists,
Walter Muller, August Meyer and Her
man Wagner. who recently came here
from Chile, were held in $1,000 bail
each.
bail each four others material wit
nesses. two with American and two
with German names.
Follows Long Investigation.
The arrests were the elimination, it
was said at the Department of Justice
here tonight, of an investigation which
has been in progress ever since the
arrest in England of Carl Lody, who
was subsequently executed in the Tow
er of London as a German spy. Lody
had a passport issued to an Amer
lean, and it became known to the De-
partment OF Justice that other American
passports We're also in the hands of Ger
man citizens. This discovery was of
great concern to the State Department.
it was feared that Americans hold
ing perfectly good passports would be
open to suspicion and possible peril
of their lives in the countries bellig-
erent to Germany.
District Attorney Marshall, in a
statement issued tonight, said that in
view of this danger. now emphasized
by today's arrests, the State Depart
menu has established system by
which, if any American passport is
exposed to question, the nearest dip
lonatic or consular officer of this gov
vefnnent will on request send a cable
reporting the essential facts in the
case. which the State Department will
investigate and cause verification or
disavowal of the passport involved to
be cabled promptly to the officer who
inaugurated the inquiry"
Mr.. Marshall added that thorough in
Sestigation had disclosed the fact that
very few United States Passports had
been fraudulently obtained.
Under Surveillance Six Weeks.
Ruroede has been under surveillance
ynent of Justice for about six weeks.
He left his employment with the firm
Of Oelrichs & Co, agents for the North
German Lloyd line. and esta blished an
office in the downtown district The
detectives learned. it was said, that he
was i'll communication with German
reservists in all parts of the country
while he received many of them every
day at his Office
Large numbers of them were fur
uIshed by Ruroede with Swiss and
Roumanian passports, it is alleged but
American passports were considered
far more desirable if they could be Sc
cured. To obtain these, it is charged
Ruroede employed naturalized Ger
mans To apply for passports paying
them from So To- $50 apiece for their
services. If necessary. Once certified
by the clerk OF the United States dis
trict court, the passports were sent tC
Washington for signature by Secretary
Bryan and the seal of the State De
partment and on being returned were
given to the reservists-
Names on Passports.
The passports found on the four Ger.
mans arrested today each bore the
Photograph of their bearer stamped
with the State Departments seal. bu,
were made out, respectively, Sachse's
10 Howard Paul Wright: Muller's tc
Herbert $. Wilson: Meyer's to Peter
Hansen, and Wagener's. to Stanley f
Martin.
II was said that there was no doub,
to the authenticity of the seal O,
the State Department on the photo.
graphs or as to Mr. Bryan's signature
but how the photographs had beer
placed on the documents without ere.
\ ating suspicion that they were no
likenesses of the persons to whom tn.
passports were issued. was not dis
closed.
1t was further alleged that Ruroede
1n order to complete the deception, fur
Hished reservists with engraved cardi
Continued on Second PaSe.l