The Sentinel=record., 1915-01-03
PROMINENT GERMAN-AMERlcAN
ARRESTED AT NEW YORK ON
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
SECURED FRAUDULENT PASSES
Made a Regular Business Of Securing
Passports For German Army Off,
GERS and Reservists to Return to
Fathertand to Fight.

New York. Jan 2.-An alleged con
spiracy to furnish German army Off,
GERS and reseryists 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
of Carl Ruroede "a former agent for
the North German Lloyd steamship
line, and with the removal from the
outward bound steamer the Bergsen.
ford of a German army officer and
three German reseryists. All of them
were charged with conspiracy to de.
fraud the United States government
through the use of American pass
ports.
The four soldiers were taken Off
the steamer, which was bound for
Bergen, Norway. just as she was pass
ing quarantine and brought back to
New York on a revenue cutter All
four bore Photographic passports is
sued by the state department to
Americans and alleged to have been
furnished them by Ruroede. Other
arrests are expected in the near fll-
ture, one a prominent German-Ameri-
can in This city.
Ruroede said tonight to agents of
the department of Justice who had
questioned him, that whatever he had
done was on his own initiative and
was inspired by patriotic motives. He
was held n 100000 bond. which he
was unable to furnish tonight. With
him was arrested John Aucher. his al
legged associate, who was also held in
100000 bail, and Ruroedes 17-year-
old son, who was released on his own
recognizance.
The three reseryists, " alter Muller. |
August Meyer and Herman Wegener, |
who recently came here from Chile, |
We're held in $4,000 bail each.
They were detained also under |
$500 bail each, and four others as ma.
terial witnesses, two with American |
and two with German names
The arrests were the elimination, |
it was said at the department of JUS |
tice here tonight of al investigation !
which has been in progress ever since
the arrest in England of Carl Lody |
who was subsequently executed in |
the Tower of London as a German |
spy Lody had a passport issued to |
al American and it became known to |
the department of Justice that other
American passports were also in the |
hands Of German citizens. This dis |
covery was or great concern to the |
state department as It was feared |
that Americans holding good pass
ports would be open to suspicion and |
possible peril of their lives in the |
countries belligerent to Germany.
District Attorney Marshall, in a |
statement issued tonight, said that in |
view OF this danger now emphasized |
by todays arrests, the state depart |
melt has established system by |
which if any American passport is ex- |
POoNd w duCbtioh, liS htdltS ulplO- |
matte or consular officer of this gov |
ernment will on request send a cable |
report of the essential facts in the |
case, and the state department will |
investigate and cause verification or
disaycwal of the passport involved to
be cabled promptly to the officer who
inaugurated the inquiry"
Mr. Marshall added that thorough
Investigation lad disclosed the fact
that very few United States pass
ports had been fraudulently obtained.
Ruroede has beea under surveil-
lance by secret agents of the depart.
ment OF justice for about six weeks
The detectives learned, it was said,
that lie was in communication with
German reservists in all parts of the
Country, while he received many OF
the9i everv day at his office. Large
numbers Of them We're furnished By
Rnroede With Swiss and Roumanian
passports, it is alleged, but American
passI orts were considered far more
desirable If they could be secured To
obtain these, it is charged Ruroede
employed naturalized Germans to
apply for passports. paying them
from $Z5 TO $50 apiece for their ser.
vices If necessary. Once certified by
tle Clefk Cf the United States district
court tnC passports were sent to