Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-07
NAB NEWARKERS
FOR AN ALLEGED
MUNITIONS PLOT
Peter Kowach and Anton
Mente, crooker-WheeIer EN-
ployes, in Custody.
SECRET SERVICE MEN
TAKE SUSPECT HERE
Local Police Are Not Active.
They Say-Factory
Heads Mum.

Both the Newark police and officers
Of the Crocker- Wheeler Company in
the Ampere section professed today to
know nothing about the activity in
this city Of United States secret ser
vice agents tracing persons suspected
of plotting damage to factories manu-
featuring munitions of war or ships
TRANSPORTING the munitions. The de-
mails were made although one of the
company's employees. Peter Kowach,
was taken into custody last night by
two secret service agents with the
assistance of Sergeant John Hummel,
Of the Newark police. and was taken
away in an automobile owned by an
officer of the Crocker- Wheeler Com
rany. The arrest was made in this
city about ) o'clock yesterday after
noon at 150 Court street.
W. II. Coade, treasurer of the
Crocker- Wheeler Company, refused to
talk with reporters today sending out
word by +. b. Flemming, one of the
Office staff, that he knew nothing
about the matter and besides secrecy
at this time was necessary to the sue
cess of the plans of the secret service.
They would not even admit that
Kowach was employed at the factory.
Kowaeh, who is a Hungarian, twen-
ty-six years old, was employed on the
night shift at the Ampere plant of
the Crocker- Wheeler Company since
the rush on war munitions necessi-
tated the working of the plant night
and day. He came here from New
York with Anton F. Mense last Au-
gust and the two roomed together ar
the home of stephen Ranga, another
Hungarian, at $50 Court street. Mente
worked on the night shift at the
Crocker- Wheeler plant until Satur-
day night, when he was discharged.
Mente Under Suspicion First,
Mente came under suspicion about
two weeks ago, when he got letter
from home telling him that his BROTH
er's leg had been shot off in the
course of a battle Mente was very
much affected by the news. and some
of his fellow workers say that he re-
marked: This shop is to blame for
my brothers trouble. 1t should be
blown up or set on fire. If no one
else does It wiIlsio it myself"
W0fHN0f this remark was sent TO
Chief of the Secret Service William
Flynn, whose men have been very
busy about the city ever since. Ap-
parently they had secured all the in
formation to be had by last Saturday.
for Mente was permitted TO work un-
til then.
Yesterday secret service men who
had been on the young Hungarian's
trail broke in ON him at sos East Sew
enty-eighth street, New York, where
he was found to have Laboratory
containing large quantities of chemi-
Gals and poisons, the police say. Large
quantities of letters and papers, in
cluding code explanations, were found
in the room, as well as the essentials
for the making of bombs. He is said
to have told the police that he had
maintained the Laboratory since
lat September. 1t was merely a
room in an apartment.
Part Played by Local Police.
After the New York arrest was
made two secret service men came
to Newark, reaching police headquar-
ters in an automobile which some /
thought was the property of the /
Croker Wheeler Company. Captain |
Connell was asked for the assistance
of a policeman and Sergeant Hummel |
was sent with the party.
They went at once TO Court street |
and surrounded the place. One |
climbed up a fire escape to a room |
on the top floor which was the one
occupied by Kowach and Mente. 1t |
was empty and Mrs. Ranga, in whose /
home the men boarded, said that I
Kowach probably was at work or on |
the way there. The visit to the house l
was shortly before 5 o'clock. and the /
night shift starts work at $50
While Mrs. Ranga was answering +
the questions of the secret service |
men Kowach came in. He readily /
adnitted his identity and invited a /
search of his room. Everything in the
room was looked over but nothing
was taken. Finally one of the secret |
service men said, won't you take a I
ride with us?'
II must hurry to work" Kowach
replied.
I'VE will fix things for you at the
Continued on Page 6. Column 81