Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-03
SWOBODA REMAINS
UNSOL VED MYSTERY
Several of Friends Profess to
Consider Charges Entirely
Unfounded.
SUSPECTED BY NEIGHBORS
They Keep Watch on Him After
Midnight Visit to Important
Defense Work.
SUSPECTED BY NEIGHBORS

Midnight Visit to Important
Defense Work.
PARIS April 2.-Although the po-
lice investigation OF tho career of Ray
inoud Swoboda. charged with being
| responsible for tho fire aboard tho
steamship La Tourainc. has brought
out additional facts regarding him, he
remains something of a mystery Sow
cral OF his friends profess to consider
the charges against him entirely ur-
founded.
NJ. Trcacat. stockbrokcr. who knew
Swoboda well, says he can soc no pos
siblc motiv" for tho act Of which lie
is accused. After hostilitics began and
business was suspended on the Bourse.
according TO Trcscat. Swoboda sought
some other occupation. One of the
plans he considered was to 20 TO the
United States and obtain samples Of
military clothing, equipment and tools,
which the Ministry Of War would he
likely to purchase. Trcscat asserts
Swoboda finally decided upon this VEN
turc. He visited many factories in
America. giving as a reference Broker
Morrison, who is one OF the most wide
ly known general merchants in Paris.
Upon the strength of this reference, he
obtained the samples he sought, ac-
cording to Trcscat The police credit
the statement Of NJ Trescat. for when
they searched the office in the Avenue
de LOpera. where five trunks belong
ing to Swoboda were stored, they found
that two of them had been opened and
the contents displayed in an adjoining
room. The display consisted Of cloth.
| woolen gloves. socks. leather. metal
TASKS. canned goods, boots intrench-
ing tools. and even complete French
uniform.
PICTURE TAKEN WHILE
WEARING STUDENTS UNIFORM
Friends OF Swoboda explain the
photograph in which he appears in the
uniform of Il German officer. by stating
that lie spent two years at Heidelberg
10 perfect himself In German, and the
picture probably was taken while he
was wearing his students uniform.
Plans found in Swoboda's office
| which the police regarded as sus-
pcious, his friends say. probably were
left there by an uncle. who Is an archi-
tect at Vancouver, and who recently
visited him in Paris -
Haussman, a banker who employed
Swoboda in 1912. declared to reporters
| that Swoboda represented himself as
Canadian. and said he did not know
a word of German, but some time later
I he overheard Swoboda talking German
huently over the telephone. When the
banker called the attention OF his en-
ployee to the conflicting statements he
had made, Swoboda explained that he
had studied at Heidelberg. Mommeja
became suspicious. however. and dis
charged SwOboda in 1919.
Three days ago NJ. Mommeja heard
that his former employee had been seen
in Paris cafe in company with very
suspicious persons. lie at once re-
ported the matter to the local police.
Residents Of the suburb OF Nirohay,
where Swoboda lived at one time saw
the man has long been regarded with
suspicion. lie was very intimate in
the Austrian-G German colony, and spent
much OF his time with an Austrian
named Padouk. y few days after the
war began. Swoboda was discovered
late one night near where some i'm
portant defense work was being car
ried out. Upon being arrested he ex-
planned he was an American, produced
D
TO go.
SWOBODA'S NEIGHBORS
BECOME SUSPICIOUS
The incident. however, according to
the people OF Nrotiay, made strong
impression on Swobodas neighbors
and they decided to watch him. One
might lie was seen TO go to the house
OF man named nrusst. Shortly after
Z l1,
way cautiously in the direction OF the
local defense works. looking around
meanwhile. to see il they were being
| observed. 1t was known that Prusst
was an Austrian born in Vienna
Some time later Swoboda. disguised
rs a ma ason. was seen coming from the
dcfenscs. The police were informed of
this but for some reason they took no
action. Weeks passed. and finally on
January l5 they arrested Prusst and
sent him to "A concentration camp. By
this time Swoboda had left Vironay,
and was on his way TO America.
Swoboda's place OF confinement is
an official secret. but he probably is in
Il military prison. Ills side Of the case
has not yet become available, as under
he criminal procedure, his examina-
ton by tho magistrate is secret, and
no opportunity is given reporters TO
question him or to hcar his reply to
the judges questions.
The American embassy still had not
had its attention drawn to the case
officially. either by the State Depart
mcnt or Swoboda. although one of
lSwoboda's friends called to-day at the
embassy and said he believed a mis-
take had been made In arrcsting
Swoboda.
FIRE ON IA TOURAINE NOT
RESULT Of EXPLOSION
1iAVRE, April 2.--Expert chemists,
investigating the causes Of the fire
aboard the steamship La Tourainc. now
express the belief that 1t was not the
result of an explosion. but original ted
in three large cases of textiles stored