Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-10-26
LIEUTENANT FAY
CONFESSES PLOT
German Officer Arrested in New
York Admits Conspiracy to Dis
able Ships with Munitions.
TWO OTHER MEN IN CUSTODY

NE WORK. Oct. 25.-Robert
FAY, a lieutenant OF the Sixteenth
saxony infantry. admitted today that
he came here last April. through an
Arrangement with the German secret
service, for the purpose Of blowing
IN or delaying steamers sailing from
this country with arms and ammuni-
ton for the allies.
Fay declared however. that while ne
had been here he had acted Independently
Of the German embassy or other Ger
man agents here. lie added that he had
told Captain Won PRpen, military at
laehe. and Captain X. Boy-ed. naval at
tache Of the German embassy, OF his
plans. but said that both men told him
not TO interfere with steamers sailing
from American ports or American am
nunition plants.
Two ArraiEned.
Fay ana his brother-in-aw, Walter l..
scholx, were arraigned at Weehawken
earlier IN the day on charges OF conspir-
ncy and were held without bail for an
examination tomorrow. Fay and Scholz
we're arrested by New York and New
Jersey detectives near Grantwood, ~ j..
late yesterday while the two men were
,xperimenting with explosives
Paul Daeche OF Jersey City, who was
arrested at his home early today, also
was arraigned with Fay and soholz. He
was charged with conspiracy and held
without bail. Detectives said. however,
that Daeche had gwen them much valua-
bic information and they expected him TO
20 an important witness
Didnt Destroy Plants.
FAY said that while serving In the field
with tho German army he Invented
device for blowing up ships. Police an
nounoed that Fay had made a complete
confession OF his activities and later the
prisoner gave out q statement to the
newspapers In that he said;
MY only objective when / came TO this
country was to interfere with the enor-
nous shipments OF artillery ammunition
10 the allies. Knowing that any ordinary
damage that may be done 10 factory
may be repaired within a few hours, do
cided Il was useless to bother with am
rnunitlon plants limitations that ! had
been connected with various explosions in
such plants in the United States IL wrong
Il hold the diploma Of an efficiency
engineer from an American correspond.
ence school and am interested In a plant
that IL manufacturing machinery.
II was serving with my regiment IN
the Champagne district and, saw the ter
rible havoc and loss caused by the French
artillery fire.
Exploding Mtnes by wireless.
During my spare time I had invented
device to explode mines by doing away
with electrical wiring. In this way
was able 10 overcome the effect OF damp
ness or water on the wires. l applied |,
the colonel OF my regiment. and he dc
cided 70 give me a chance. He put M
In touch with the secret service office
and one OF the agents arranged for m,
passage TO tho United States. cam
here on the steamship Rotterdam. Hrriy
Ing. l believe. on April IS last l had N
trouble In getting into the country"
Fay said that he and Scholz had con
Quoted q large number OF experiment
with his mine device along the Hudsol
river. but declared that Daeche was 4
no way implicated. The man said tina
although Fay did not appear to be a Ger
man name. Robert Fay was his corrcc
name, and that he was listed under tina
name In his regiment. Fay said he wa
well supplied with money when he ar
rived here and therefore was able to &C
on his own. responsibility.