New-York tribune., 1915-03-18
PASSPORT PRISONER
HAD STECLER CARD
Detectives Say Madden
When Arrested, Tried
TO Destroy 1t.
/ DEFENDANT DENIES
HE KNEW INFORMER
Latter Relied on w. X. Hearst
for Help, Cook Testifles-
Evidence All In.

The tearing of small calling caro-
and the circumstances under when II
was done may prove to be the deciding
factors in the case Of Richard MADDEN
who. with Gustave Cook. is on trial be-
fore Judge Cushman. in the Unitec
States District Court, charged with
conspiracv TO defraud the government
by obtaining false passports.
The card which. Secret Service
agents testified yesterday, Madden at
tempted to destroy when he was ar
rested bore the name of Richard =
Stegler. the young German who turned
states evidence and implicated CooH
and Madden in the plot to obtain
false American passport, so that Stegiei
could go to England and act as spy
for the Kaiser.
Madden testified Yesterday that nc
had never met Stegler in his hfe
Under REORGANIZATION by Roger a
Wood. assistant federal attorney, the
witness said he happened TO have Steg,
lor's card.in his pocket at the time OF
his arrest, although he had never met
ar known Steglcr. He explained that
tho card had been given 10 him by a
bartender in a Hobokcn saloon. lie
said il was torn by one Of the Secret
Service men. to whom he had offered II
coming over from llob0ken IN the hud-
son tubes after his arrest
Thomas G.. McGee, special agent OF
,f
rested Madden and Cook. testified that
Madden tried to tear up the card to-
gether with other papers the prisoner
had in his pocket. -,
The courtroom was crowded with
spectators at the opening of the ses-
sion Yesterday, as it was the day be
fore. Evidently many had come in the
hone of getting a glimpse at Captain
Rov-Fd. German Naval Attache at
Washington, who had been implicated
by Stegler. Reference to diplomatic
officials of the German government
however. was strictly barred, and the
crowd dwindled.
Counsel for the defence maintained
that the case against the defendants
was a "frame-up" by Stegler, VINO
sought notoriety and some easy
change tndl ne WlEHL Etb iVi NHN '~''
sational story of the conspiracy.
Cook, IN his testimony, told OF a
conversation with Stegler IN the
Tombs. which he swore was to the ef.
feet that Stegler hoped to get S25,OOC
either by sticking to his story involv-
ing German diplomats or by repudIat-
ing it in favor of the Germans. 1t
wasn't clear from whom Steg Ter eX-
pected to get the $4,000. but the wit
ness said Stegler told him that Will
lam Randolph Hearst would get him
out of his trouble.
Stegler wrote stories for The New
York American" all the time he was in
the Tombs. Cook said. Mr.. Hearst was
lot in love with the national admins
tration and would give a good deal TO
show up Secretary Bryan, the witness
testified.
Madden, the other defendant, told a
remarkable story Of having been VIC
timized by three unknown Germans IN
Hoboken. who got him drunk and took
from him the birth certificate he had
obtained from the Bureau of Vital sta
tistics, in Jersey City, because these
same men had told him it would be
necessary to show that he was Ameri-
can born when applying for a job at
the offices of the Holland-Amerlcan
Line