The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-26
Investigating Charge
{ That German EN-
!, bassy Attache Gave
. Paper to Spy
GENERAL DENIAL
: BY ACCUSED MAN
Kefutes All Statements Made by Coun-
= sci for Richard P. Stegler, German
= Naval Reservist Arrested in New
> York Wednesday Night
By Associated Press.

New York, Feb 26.-Federal author
tiles to-day are investigating state
ment made by counsel for Richard P.
Stegler, the German naval reservist ar
tested in this city Wednesday night,
that Captain Boy-Ed, naval attache to
the German embassy in Washington,
had furnished an American passport to
Carl Hans Lody. the German spy who
was put to death in the Tower of Lon
don last November. In his general de-
NAL of Stegler's statements involving
him Captain Boy-Ed referred to this al
legation as "trash. -
3 Charles H. Grifiths. former Assistant
y. S. Attorney, who was assigned by
United States Commissioner Houghton
to defend Stegler, linked the names of
the German naval attache and Lody in
a statement given out after a confer
ence with Stegler in the Tombs.
Boy-Ed Knew Whole Plot
"Stegler told me,'' Mr.. Griffiths
said, "that on one occasion while he
was on his way to keep an appointment
with Captain Boy-Ed a DIR. Fuehr told
him that Captain Boy-Ed had carried
through the scheme that made it pos
sible to secure an American passport
for Iody and that Boy-Ed sent Lody
to England, where he was executed
Stegler also said that DR.. Fuehr had
told him Boy-Ed was the only person
who knew all the details Of the Lody
plot because he had "planned the whole
thing"
Mr.. Griffiths said that all of Stegler s
statements were corroborated by Mrs.
Stegler, the young Georgia woman at
whose suggestion Stegler abandoned his
alleged plan to go abroad. According
to Mr.. Griffiths, Stegler was to have
sailed for England to work for the Ger
man government in obtaining informa-
tien as to the whereabouts of an Eng
lish fleet of dreadnoughts supposed to
be in st. Georges channel.
Places Task on Another
Stegler was to have gone on the
steamer Franconia, according to the
lawyer, and when he decided not to go
the young German American whom he
knew by sight but not by name was as
signed to the perilous task and sailed
on the steamer with a bogus passport
in his pocket.
Captain Boy-Ed denied all the state
ments alleged to have been made by
Stegler- The naval attache said he had
tried to obtain employment for Stegler
and had advanced money on account of
travelling expenses because he thought
he could place him with friend in
Germany who wanted to employ good
linguist. Later, Captain Boy-Ed con-
tinued, he had declared that Stegler
was not suitable person for the posi-
tion he had in mind and had asked
Stegler to return the money advanced.
This Stegler had not done, Captain
Bov.Ed said.
False, Says Captain Boy-Ed
"'The impression that Stegler wishes
to create" Captain Boy-Ed added,
s'that the real intention of his trip
was to act as a spy for the German
government, is false.
Roger B. Wood, the Assistant United
States District Attorney, who is pre-
septing the case to the Federal Grand
Jury, said:
"This department will get to the
bottom of whatever there is to get to
the bottom of The rest of the work, if
there is any tc be done, is up to the au
thorities at Washington"
German Ambassador Silent
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
Ambassador to the United States, de-
clined through his secretary to-day to
make any statement or give any inter
view upon any subject, including the
story told by Richard P. Stegler,
German naval reservist, under arrest in
this city, charged with fraudulently Sc
curing an American passport.
DR.. X. A. Fuehr, who was formerly
employed as an interpreter at the Ger
man consulate in Yokohama, Japan,
gave out statement to-day in which
he denied that part of Stegler's story
which referred to him.
George S. Vierick, editor of the
magazine, said Stegler had called upon
him but that he did not ask for work.
Stegler, said Vierick, asked for as
sistance in securing an American pass
port, saying that he had work of con-
fdential nature to do. Mr. Vierick, who
is an American citizen, said he refused
to be a party to any scheme to get an
American passport for Stegler.