The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-02-03
GERMAN BLOWS NU CANADIAN
BRIDGE AND CLAIMS TO BE
AN ARMY OFFICER.
SAYS If WAS ACT OF WAR


Vanceboro, Maine, Feb. 2.-Anoth-
er international problem incident to
the war was thrust upon the United
States today by the action of Werner
Van Horn who. operating on the Ca
dian side of the border, dynamited
the railway bridge over the st. Croix
river and then escaped into this
state
few hours later in a room at
hotel here VanHorn quietly submit
ted to arrest but Immediately pro
claimed himself an officer of the
German army and set up the claim
that he had committed an act of war
and, having fled to "a neutral Coun-
try, could not be legally surrendered
to the enemy of the fatherland.
The Canadian authorities. however,
at once instituted proceedings to OBJ
tain VauHorns eXtradition on
charge of destruction of railroad prop
erty Pending the outcome Of these
efforts, VanHorn is held at the immi-
grafton office here in custody Of
Deputy Sheriff George w. Ross of
Washington county.
The bridge which VauHom sought
to destroy was not greatly damaged
Within few hours cars We're shunt-
ed across one at a time. the passen.
gers walking over on the ice. BY
morning. railroad officials say. the
bridge will be strong enough for
trains to use it without uncoupling.
The St CroiX river for some dis
tance forms the boundary between
Maine and New Brunswick
The bridge is owned jointly by the
Maine Central and the Canadian Pa
cific railways and is ON the direct
route of the Canadian Pacific from
western Canada to the maritime pro-
vinces over this road have been
shipped large quantities of war ma
terals for the allies. which were
placed on board ships at St John and
Halifax
According 10 the police. Van Horn.
man of middle age, and of military
bearing, told them that he left Ger
many five years ago and for the past
four years has been managing a eof-
fee plantation i'm Mexico.
Recently he made unsuccessful at
tempts to return to his native land
Friday night he left New York City,
arriving here Saturday night and
staying at a hotel That night by ap-
pointment he met a man unknown to
him at the east end of the bridge
The man gave him a satchel contain.
ing dynamite, VanHorn suspended
the satchel from the inside of an end
post of the bridge and about O'Clock
| this morning discharged the explo-
sive.
This done, he planned to go to
Lambert lake, from which point he
intended TO drive about thirty miles
to Princeton. The night was intense
ly cold and he suffered so much that
he abandoned the trip and returned
to the hotel
There the police found him in bed
/ at o'clock this morning.
At the request of the Canadian Of
ficers he was taken into custody
Tonight Attorney General William
r Pattangall sent word from Angus
ia to Deputy Sheriff Ross to hold Van
| Horn until further orders. While
there was no formal charge preferred
against him at first, arrangements
were made to have a warrant against
NanHorn issued if necessary in order
to make certain his detention.
NanHorn, the officials state, could
be charged with damage to a railroad
bridge, which is an extraditable Of
fense under an agreement between
the United States and Canada, or
with damage to property on the Amer
lean side Of the border where win
dows were broken by the explosion.
! Up to this evening VanHorn had not
seen a lawyer and appeared to take
his detention coolly. Apparently in
different as to what charges may be
preferred against him
1t is understood that a preliminary
movement will be made to determine
whether VanHorn has any standing
as a German officer and if it can be
established that he has not. the mat
ter Of his general responsibility Will
be inquired into.
The attempt on the bridge by Van
Horn was well timed Up to a few
days ago it was constantly guarded
Then tha UafQhmpu Narn ttft hd,a,tst,