Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-12-22
HIGH GERMAN SPY
SUSPECT IS HELD
WITH W00THERS
Paul Koenig, Alleged Head Of
Secret Service System In
America, and Assist
ants Arrested.
FACING SERIOUS CHARGE
Government Declares They
Planned to Blow Up Welland
Canal and Stop Exports
to the Allies.
FACING SERIOUS CHARGE

Erie and lake Ontario, three men are
under arrest here today awaiting ar
Eaienment before a United State COM
missioner while a fourth man is in the
CUSTODY OF the government authori-
Ties. Those under arrest are:
Paul koenig, formerly head of the
Dureau of investigation of Hamburg
American line, who, it is charged, has
been the head OF the German secret
service in the United States since the
beginning of the war.
Richard %. Lyendecker, a retailer of
art goods in this city. a naturalized
American alleged to have been en-
ployed by Koenig.
frederick Metzler, of Jersey City, re-
ported to have been a clerk in the Of
fices of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. line
n secretary to Koenig.
The fourth man held in custody is
George Fuchs, III was formerly in
koenig's employ, and who has given
the authorities valuable information.
SO far as is known he is not alleged to
be a party to any conspiracy.
The arrests were mad last night UNI
der the direction of agents of the de-
partment of justice.
Quarrel Leads to Arrest.
The evidence which led to the arrest
of the three defendants was given by
George Fuchs, who, it is charged,
ment of SIS which he claims Koenig
owed him.
The purpose of the alleged attempt
to block the canal was, it is charged.
to prevent the movement of supplies
down the great lakes and through the
Welland n ST. Lawrence river
to the entente allies.
The ame of workers in San Fran
cisco, Chicago Philadelphia, Detroit.
Boston and other cities are said to
have been discovered among docu-.
ments seized by the authorities in a
raid upon the offices of Koenig and
Lyendecker.
The penalty for the CRIME charged in
this case is three years i'm prison or
$4,000 fine or both.
The specific charge preferred against
koenig and Lydendecker is violation
of section Ii of the United States nila'
code, which prohibits the Planning
within the boundaries of the t'.i'''l
States of a military expedition aa:t'n+l
u foreign power.
The arrests We're made hy WI "tn
M. Offley, in charge of the gnu
ment's neutrality investigatinl. in"N"A
Thomas Tnnney. of the New N"r';
bureau of explosives and colnhasttis" a.
Bank Clerk Held.
Detectives, following ,Ge t::i. a..
plotters seeking to destroy >!Gii : ,9:
ing ammunition to tic @l!ics. ~ ~ -
the National City bank. whom its
charge with larceny of dos uin.its. .st-
Diagrams, n messages. waiuh. j. ..
alleged, he turned over TO sci.rts:ns.
tivcs of the German government.
These documents. the cctectiVc.
say. gave information as TO which :hi ;
bore ammunition acrCss the :s:i...
Schleindl is also charged with ha az.
given Information TO the German rep
resentatives as to what trims Me.ta
manufacturing war supplies in t.is
country and also the amounts of money
placed in certain banks to the cIe AT
of the allies. Schleindl was taken to
police headquarters for further exam
nation.
Schleindl, detectives said. confessed
TO having obtained information regard
ing shipments OF munitions and other
matters, saying that he did this at
the direction of Paul koenig. head OF
the bureau of investigation of the
American line, who was ar
rested yesterday IN the charge of plot
ting the destruction of the Welland ca
nal. Detectives said they found in
Schleindls pocket a telegram referring
to a shipment of 1000, 900 rifles to the
allies. The message was from the
Banuue Beige Pour LEntrangere to a
New York bank. Schliendl told of
meeting Koenig, who. he said, used an
alias last May, according to detectives.
and OF having kept in touch with the
German consul here since the opening
of the war. The prisoner, who said he
was a German %reservist. declared that
when he met kOen1g at an uptown no
tel. arrangements were made for him
to obtain cablegrams and other docu-
ments at the National City bank. For
this work, Schleindl told the police. he
has been receiving about $25 a week.
Police claim today that they found
among Koenig's effects papers indicat-
ing that he had had relations with
Schleindl.
Koenig. under the name Of Stemm-
Ter, it was charged, was responsible for
obtaining from Gustav Stahl the affi-
davit in which he declared he had seen
guns on board h Lusitania the day
before she sailed on her last voyage.
Stahl was convicted on a charge Of
perjury and sentenced to Is months
in the federal prison at Atlanta.
The actual plan to blow up the ca
nal was mapped out in Buffalo, accord
ing to the complaint which was made
by Captain Offley, in charge of the
government investigation. The COM
plant alleges that Koenig and Lyen-
decker left New York on September %
last for Buffalo over the Lehigh VAL
ley railroad. Later they went to Nj
agara Falls. The complaint specific
ally charges that it raj t h purpose
and intention OF said defendants to de-
stroy. mutilate n damage the Well
land .anal by force Of arms."