Evening star., 1915-10-24
GOVERNMENT SEEKS
RADIO OPERATOR
William Russell Under Suspi-
cion of Department of
Justice.
MADE FALSE CLAIMS
AS WIRELESS WORKER
Escape Of German Warrant Officers
From Norfolk Connected with
Messages From Baltimore.

BALTIMORE, October 23-On the
theory that some wireless messages
flashed from Baltimore may be con-
nected with the flight of six interned
German naval warrant officers from
Norfolk. the Department of Justice
Washington. is looking for William
Russell Pretending to be chief Of the
wireless division, 7th Regiment, Ma
tional Guard of the state of New York,
Russell made use of the radio of the
Marconi station in Baltimore.
This was few days before the Ger
mans fled to sea in the yacht Eclipse
The message was presumably picked
up by a wireless equipped steamer
shopping along the Atlantic seaboard.
Government Wants Russell.
w. w. Stockham. United States mar
Since then he and William B. Mat
thews. in charge of the Baltimore Of
flee of the Department of Justice, have
been making rigid inquiries.
Both wireless men in the Marconi sta
ton at the time of Russelrs visit have
been put on the grill. Every bit of in
hands.
1t was October that Russell. bearing
radio charts of North and South Amer
lea, slipped into Baltimore with the
story that he was to make an aerop1ane
flight over this city and would flash
aerograms.
AS to his claim that he was chief of
wireless. 7th Regiment, New York, it
was learned from Maj. Gen. John F.
ORyan, in charge of headquarters, that
division, hence no chief.
No such man is known to this Of
fice,' said Gen. Organ.
Representations Refuted.
letter from the National Guard told
that man named William Russell,
formerly of the 7th Regiment, had ap-
piled for enlistment in the aviation
arm of the Signal Corps. Russell was
unknown to army officials in Washing
ton.
Here are the facts on which the fed
eral men are working:
Late in September a small ship sailed
from Pensacola, Fla; on board a re-
puted German crew. 1t was suspected
as possible commerce raider. 1t was
swallowed somewhere in the Gulf of
Mexico.
person to the Marconi station, In Balti-
more. Telling of planned fight for
wireless testing, this William Russell
won the confidence of the wireless op-
orator.
Showing His "style."
las 1 shall send messages to you."
said Russell, "let me give you my
style"
Down he sat at the key. and began
sending out from the high-tension
spark of the radio. Leagues and
leagues away any ships wireless in
tune might have caught the words in
Morse.
October IL. six interned officers from
the German auxiliary cruiser Kron-
prinz Wilhelm dropped from the earth,
SO to speak. With them went a twen-
tyflve-ton auxiliary yawl, bought by
them ostensibly for yachting. TO date
nothing has been heard of these six
men. and officials are marking the fact
that the mysterious craft which steam
ed out of Pensacola earlier had few, if
any, trained officers aboard.
Views Of Operator.
A. F. Bowers. wireless operator in
charge when Russell paid his call,
said that Russell sent out nothing but
the call for Cape May. He operated
under Mr.. Bowers license, according
to government restrictions.
1.-THE afternoon of the day he was to
have f1own," said Mr.. Bowers. "he tele-
phoned that the flight was postponed. and
that he would be in later in the day to
make arrangements. He never showed
up All that day had been tuned to a
short-wave length. as he had said he
would use but 100 meters in sending.
This is why 1 caught a queer tumble of
disjointed letters as IL from the key of
a novice at sending and from an anna
teur's station at that"
Gould this man Russell have sent out
a word or part Of word in a code mes
sage when he was at your key?"
Not without my hearing it," answered
Bowers. All he sent was the call for
Cape May
What was his object In using your
key at all. If his flight was a fake %
You've got me there" laughed the
radio man. I've no idea 1t seems queer
he should want to use one station and
want US to get his STYLE"