Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-01


Justice officials announced today that
two alleged conspirators with Captain
Hans Tauscher in the plot to blow up
| the Welland canal were under arrest in
| New York, that a third was under sur
| yeillance in New England and that they
| expected to arrest a fourth in few
days.
Plenty Of Money from Papen
Fritzen, Busse and Won Der Goltz all
were in the pay of Won Papen, depart
ment officials said. Their names appear
on the stubs of Won Papens check books
seized by the British while Captain Won
Papen was on his way home. and Won
Der Goltz has told department agents
that Won Papen had sent them other
sums of money which do not appear on
the stubs Some of this money was sent
Won Der Goltz said. while the men were
rafting their chance to get across the
international line and dynamite the ca
| nal.
According to the story told department
agents by Horst Won Der Goltz, the al
legged German spy brought to New York
by Scotland Yard detectives last Tues
day, the plan to blow up the Welland
canal was known to Captain Won Papen
the withdrawn German military attache
who furnished money for the work.
Recruiting in Big Cities
Won Der Goltz was quoted as saying
! that Won Papen had endorsed the Well
and canal proposal after it had been de-
cided that it would be impossible to lead
large armed expedition into Canada
! from the United States. Won Der Goltz
had sought to enlist Germans in Balti-
more. Hoboken and New York, and de-
partment agents say he declared he was
acting with the knowledge of Won Pa
pen.
On Villas Staff
Won Der Goltz came to the United
States in July. 1914. from Mexico. where
and reported to Won Papen. The plan to
| invade Canada, he told department:
agents, had been his, not Won Papens.
After he had obtained Won Papen's en-
dorsement, Won Der Goltz said. he went
| to Baltimore to induce Germans Of the
crews of German merchant vessels tied
up there to join him. He also tried to
obtain recruits from German sailors at
Hoboken and New York.
After a time. Won Der Goltz said. the
\
of invasion. officials said was west of
the Great Lakes The force which Won
Der Goltz wanted to raise for the expe
dition was to be sufficiently large to
engage the attention of the troops Can
ada was training to send to Europe
Four Men Were to Do Work
| When the plan was abandoned, Won
Der Goltz said, he proposed blowing up
| the Welland canal. Tauscher was to
| furnish the dynamite and Won Der GoltZ
was to take four men with him to do the
| work.
| The additional arrests announced
| today were of men in the party. OFF,
Gals said, and had been made some
time ago, but kept under cover until
the investigation could be completed.
The First Arrest
| The first arrest was made in New
York nearly a month ago, where the
prisoner a German named Besse, is
lnow held secretly by department.
agents. The second arrest was made
in FL Paso about two weeks ago. and
the prisoner, who spoke broken Eng
fish. said his name was Tucker. He
was selling small metal images of the
German cruiser Embden. He was taken
to New York. locked up at Ellis Is
land, where he is now confined, and
later told the departments agents his
true name He admitted that he had
been one Of Won Der Goltzs compan-
ions in the project to destroy the Well
and canal. BuSse is held under charge
of conspiracy. officials said, and Tuck
er is held as a material witness. A
charge may be made against him.
An italian Accomplish
The third of Won Der Goltz's alleged
accomplices is an Italian. officials said,
who has been under surveillance some
time in New England and can be ar
rested at any time. The fourth and
last is a German, Alfred A. Fritzen,
who was mentioned in the complaint
against Tauscher. Fritzen's where
abouts are believed to be known and
his arrest is expected.
Department OF Justice officials said
late today that as a result Of Won Der
Goltz's story some Of the men who
aided him to obtain frauduIently an
American passport when he sailed
| from Baltimore to England probably
soon would be arrested.
Tucker Hold at Ellis
Tucker, who is held at Ellis Island
as a material witness, is said to be
one of the men involved ir the alleged
passport fraud and there are at least
two others. Won Der Golt1 is under
stood to have told the departments
agents Of other instances where
American passports were fraudulently
obtained and to have given further in
formation about certain cases already
under Investigation.