Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-03
IVAN HORN SEEKS
PROTECTION Of THE
/. GERMAN EMBASSY
Dynamiter Asks Won Bernstorft
to Block Extradition to
Canada.
ASSERTS He NEVER SET
FOOT IN DOMINION
New Brunswick Attorney Says
Prisoner Is Liable to Life
s Imprisonment.

vANcEBoRo, Me-, Feb. 3--wer-
ner Van Horn, who attempted to
blow up the railway bridge here yes
terday, today appealed to the Ger
man ambassador at Washington.
Count Won Bernstorff. He told the
latter that he had not been on Can
adian soil and asked for protection
from extradition to Canada. -
The Dominion authorities were
busy today building up a case to sup
port their request for the extradition
of Van Horn.
Before noon a large party Of sec
ret service officers arrived here from
Montreal. Their business was to es-
tablish that Van Horn had deliber-
ately caused damage to a railroad
and so committed an offense which is
extraditable under the treaty be-
tween the United States and Canada
At the same time the question
whether Van Horn was a criminal or
political offender was to be made the
subject of exchanges between Otta-
wa and Washington.
Van Horn, still claiming to be an
officer of the German army, and ap-
pearlng to feel secure in his position
that he had properly committed an act
Of war and so could not be extra
'iited, awaited events with COM
posure. His only regret, so far as
expressed is that he succeeded in
damag-n -ng the bridge but 81 ghtly. No
charge has been preferred against
him, and he is detained only on the
authority Of the attorney general of
Name, until an inquiry into the facts
Of lis case can be made.
1t was explained that he could be
held indefinitely unless writ of
ha cas- corpus on his behalf was OBJ
tanned. Van Horn hass hown no dis
position to seek his liberty, but pro-
vision has been made to forestall such
procedure. A local trial justice stands
ready to issue a warrant for the ar
rest of the dynamiter on any one of
several charges that have been sug-
gested. These include the illegal
transportation Of dynamite and of
causing damage in this town where
the windows Of some buildings were
broken by the explosion.
Warrant Issued for Van Horn.
Under the auspices OF Canadian Of
Asficfals q court session was held last
night at McAdam Junction. just
across the New Brunswick border, at
which testimony was given before .
police magistrate, who later Issued q
warrant against Van Horn.
No service was made on the pris-
oner, however, local authorities hav-
ing decided that the warrant had no
legal standing unless accompanied by
an order for extradition.
Il r TAYLOR, of ST. John, N. B.,
general solicitor of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, said today that he
would send papers to Ottawa tonight
which would be forwarded later to
Washington in connection with the
Canadian governments application
For Van Horns eXfraditiOn
It was said today that Van Horn
had been stopping at the Harritea
Hotel, Staten Island, n. Y, for some
weeks.
Temporary repairs TO the bridge al
lowed full trains and locomotives to
cross 1t today, although the speed
was limited to six miles an hour.
Search is still being continued by
the Canadian authorities on the other
side of the river for the man who
Van Horn claims was his accom-
ulice. The German asserts that the
man was an Irishman and that he
met him on the bridge by appoint
ment. He stated that his accom-
plice was unknown to him and that
Identification was made by means on
O password.
Only the snow and extreme cold
weather, Van Horn declares, pre-
vented him from completely demol-
islling the bridge at the point where
the explosion occurred.
ST. JOHN, N. B., Feb. 3.-The in
formation laid against Werner Van
Horn, upon which the Canadian au-
thorities seek his extradition from
Vanceboro, Me-, was stated by j. B.
NJ. Baxter, attorney of New Bruins.
wick, to be based on section 2s2 OF
the criminal code. This section Is as
follows:
Everyone is guilty of an indictable
offense and liable to life Imprisonment
who unlawfully. with intent to injure
or endanger the safety of any persons
travelling or being on any railway, In
jures or destroys any train, bridge or
fence of said railway or any other
portion thereof"
Mr.. Baxter said that if Van Horn
were brought to Canada and indicted,
he would be tried in Charlotte county.
N B. The dffense charged, he said,
was covered by an extension made in
1900 to the extradition treaty of 1899
between Canada and the United
States, as extraditable any 'wilfui
and Unlawful destruction or obstruc-
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