New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-29

tanning military information. His nama
y Breeckow. Schnit CT. in May Of
this year, gav~ him a passport fill I'd
out with the name of Reginald Row.
land. The passport bore the same date
and number as the original and legiti-
mate document issued by the State De-
partment to the real Rowland in jan
uary.
Arrested as a Spy.
Then Breeckow came to England. His
passport, a complete fabrication, got
him into this country. 1t was not .oag,
however, before he was suspected. He
was placed under arrest on char es of
spying and his passport was taken
away from nim. Upon close examina-
tion it wa. found to be a lever forgery.
To make absolutely certain, an investi-
CATION was made, and it was found that
the real Rowland was in America and
in possession of his passport.
Breeckow is still in Jail. His trial
VII take place before long. He has
confessed, and it is expected he will be
executed.
The forged passport was a good
piece of counterfeiting, but not quite
good enough - carry Breeckow clear
tn. ough, although it did get him by
the alien officers at Tilbury, where he
landed when he came over from Hol-
! land in May. The authorities obtained
fr1 Rowland, through Washington,
the original passport. When compared
with the original many defects were
noticeable in the forgery.
Since the beginning of the war the
State Department has adopted several
l.. Il rlS.n n
of passports. A photograph of the
bearer of a passport is pasted in the
upper lef'- hand corner, stamped with
the seal of the State Department, the
seal overlapping, the impression being
partly on the photograph and partly
on the parchment of the passport itself
this in order 10 make it impossible
to remove the photograph and put an
other in its place. The seal is twice
impressed on the photograph, once
right side up and then upside down.
Must flake Declaration.
In the upper right-hand corner of
the passport there is declaration
form, wherein it is stated that the
bearer tells on oath that he desires
to visit specified countries for speci-
fed purpose Formerly no such speci-
fication was needed, and an American
passport was GOO for anywhere.
A comparison of the original and
forged passports in the present case
shows numerous defects and changes.
The photograph on the forgery is, Of
course, not that of Rowland. but of
Breeckow, who is fine and intelli-
gent-looking man. Here, II is found,
the impressions Of the State Depart
ment seals are not put on in just the
same manner as the State Department
adopts. Instead of their being in the
lower corners, only one is in such
position, while the other is on the
side of the photograph. Further, both
are right side up; the State Depart
ment reverses one impression.
The form which is attached, by
means OF rubber stamp, which begins
by saying The person TO whom this
passport is issued has declared on
oath" shows definite changes TO suit
the purposes of spy. Inc lasQthing
in the world the spy would desire to
have known would be a visit to Ger
many and Belgium. Such a visit the
original Rowland made. but for the SPY
il was found necessary to change this
part o. the passport. SO instead OF
saving the bearer intended visiting
Holland, Germany. Belgium, England
and France" it was stated. in the
handwriting of Captain S:hnitzer. the
German secret service chief in Ant
werp, that the bearer desired to visit
Holland. Italy. Spain and England
The description also is different. The
real Rowland was a youth OF twenty
one. The spy could not pretend such
few number Of years, so his age is put
down at thirty-one. The rest of the de-
scription is curiously much the same
in both cases. One of the most no
ticeable differences is the handwriting.
The State Department passport is writ
ten in ( and open hand which $
characteristic of all American pass
ports. The handwriting on the -orgery,
which has been recognized as that OF