Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-04-01
AMERICAN HELD
BY FRENCH WORE
GERMAN UN|F FORM
Photograph Showing Swoboda
as kaiser's Officer Found,
Say Police.
COMPROMISING PAPERS
ALSO REVEALED, IT'S SAID
Theory That Actress May Have
induced Him to Be-
come Spy.
BY the United Press.

BY the United Press.
PARIS, April Further police in
yestigation Of the charge that Ray
mond Swoboda. an American broker
set fire to the French liner La
Touraine, while she was In mid
ocean, has resulted In amazing dis
closures. according to statement
given out here today. In a search
of a villa, at yiroflag, near Ver-
ssilles, said to have been occupied
by Swoboda before the war, the DO
lice announced they found q photo
graph Of three German officers in
uniform with Sweboda in the centre
of the group. Several compromising
documents and maps. the exact ma
ture of which have not been revealed.
were taken in the villa. the police as
sert.
The investigation today turned on
the theory that Nine. Preischleo.
beautiful actress, may have led the
American to become a German spy.
Swoboda, the police have been told,
became infatuated with the woman
and occupied villa in the neighbor-
hood of Paris with her.
Swoboda held a position of trust
with the banking firm of NJ. Raguiet,
and moved in the best circles in
Paris. Following the outbreak OF
the war, according to the police. be
left for Switzerland, accompanied by
Mime. Preischleo, carrying consider
able luggage. In December Swoboda
returned to Paris. He spent a few
-. II IL
nounced that he was about to sail
for America in April on business
which promised large financial re-
turns Despite his prospects OF
amassing great wealth. the American
appeared depressed, according to
some of his former associates
Actress yanishes.
Secret service agents. who took up
the trial OF Nine Preisehleo, re-
ported that the actress apparently
vanished upon her arrival in switser-
land, and although she was well
known in Geneva and other Swiss
cltizs No. recnrd could bs found pf
her arrival at any ef the Sxstzs
hotels
Last week FIVE of Swobode's trunks
were seized by the police at the resi-
dence of A. NJ Morrison, Bourse
broker and Swoboda's Paris repre-
sentative. The contents of the trunks
has not yet been made knawn.
NJ. Raglliet, Swoboda's business as
soeiate. declared in an interview last
night that he believed Swoboda was
a Canadian, as he had excellent ref
erences from Quebec, where he said
his family resided. Swoboda told
Raguiet he had been brought up in
Germany and made no attempt to
hide his sympathy for that nation,
according to the interview.
"Swoboda's Germanophiss senti-
rnents became so pronounced about
the middle OF July said NJ. Raguiet,
that l decided TO break OFF my rela-
tions with him. After July 10 Swo-
boda spoke of war being imminent
between France and Germany. He
said he had exceptional sources of In
formation in Germany, He wrote me
about this time that it was shame
to deal on the Bourse since there
never would be a monthly settle
ment."
Sought Newspaper Position.
The Figaro prints the following
statement in reference TO Swoboda's
attempt TO attach himself to that
paper:
During the first days of the war
Swoboda came to the Figaro and Of
fered himself as a war correspondent.
in which position, he declared, his
American citizenship would be adj
vantageous. He said he could so
everywhere and supply information
nobody else could get One of our
editers, Franz Ratchet, who saw him.
gained so poor an impression Of the
man that for the moment he seriously
considered denouncing him as a spy
and refrained from doing so only be.
cause he was not absolutely certain" !"
NEW YORK, April 1.-Reported
presence of small samples OF gasoline
and other oils in his baggage on the
French steamer La Touraine when
he sailed from here for France last
March Is the only circumstances upon
which Raymond Rolfe Swoboda, an
American, is held in Paris, charged
with attempting to set fire to the
vessel while en- route. This was de-
clared today by friends and business
assistants of Swoboda who expressed
confidence in his absolute innocence.
Information that Swoboda had gaso-
line and oil samples In his baggage
came from employees of the French
Steamship Company. On the other
hand, Swoboda's friends denied that
he carried such articles, and said, as
a salesman dealing with the allies, he
had nothing but samples OF cloth,
army shoes and the like.
r. K. Maclx1ee, former textile ex-
pert for the Federal Tariff Board and
assistant of Swoboda, today appealed
to the state department to have Swo-
boda freed He and Thomas Hooper,
of Victoria, B. c., Canadian, and
Eugene Davis and w. w. Mohr, of
this city, all declared that they and
Swobods were engaged in selling sup
plies to the allies. with Swoboda han.
lIf,,e fha 1oa rio end