Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-21
HARLlNG, FEDERAL PRISONER At
CEDAR RAPIDS. COMPOUNDS
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
DOES NOT APPEAR
TO BE INSANE
Sending Of Many Queer kilograms
Only Indication Of Mental Derange.
ment-H caring Delayed Ono Week
to Permit Of Investigation Of Record
Has Travelled Much.

Cedar Rapids. Oct. ol.That Ber-
nard Harling, the young man arrested
in Cedar Rapids Tuesday by. govern
ment secret service men for imperson-
ating a government officer. is a very
my sterious character was the decision
of all who heard his story at the pre-
liminary hearing held before Commits
sioner HARDWOOD in the Federal build
ing Friday night.
The arraigning Of Harling was held
up until Deputy United States Marshal
Healy could arrive from Sioux City.
Healy arrived in the city late Friday
afternoon and the prisoner was ar
raigned at 1880 that evening.
Questioned For an Hour.
For over an hour the government Of
ficials and an immigration officer who
had been sent from st. Louis to look
after the case, shot questions at Har-
ling thick and fast. Just as fast as
they asked them Harling answered
them. Showing an uncanny knowl-
edge of the geography of both this
country and England and the govern
mental affairs Of both countries he put
UP a story-which made the officials de-
eide to postponesthe final hearing for
a week and then let United States
Attorney Frank O'Connor handle the
case.
Either the prisoner is insane on the
subject of secret service operations or
he is a person whose past actions are
going to stand a very thorough inves
tigation.
When confronted with the many tel
egrams and registered letters which he
has sent to government officials over
the country Harling admitted writing
them but insisted that he has never
told anyone he was an employe of the
government.
Admits Sending Messages.
All of the kilograms were of d Inys-
ferrous character and evidently meant
to convey the impression that the
writer was using code.
"The Washington monument still
stands in the same place. Wire in
structions", Am on the trail Of the
fox, ARRESTED so and so at o'clock
this afternoon. Send case fifty
three, are a few samples Of the mes
sages he wired about the country Just
before being arrested in Cedar Rapids
he had sent kilograms from Clinton,
Dewitt. and Wheaton. 1t was in these
cities that the secret service depart
ment obtained his description.
While Harling admits sending the
messages he can give no reason for so
doing. His only explanation was chat
every man makes fool of himself
sometime during his life and he
guessed his, time had come.
Is Railroad Fireman.
When questioned about tnis past life
Harling said that by occupation he
was a railway fireman and to prove
this he wears a badge of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen He says
that his home is in ST. John New
Brunswick, Canada. He claims to have
lived at different places in Canada and
to have spent the time from 1907 till
1912 at the English government school
at Aldershot. England. There he said
he studied the subjects most used by
government employees and finally was
admitted to the school of aviation. The
long knife which he had when arrest
ed, he said, was given to him there.
After finishing his course at the
school he returned to Canada, he said
He says that he remained at home I'M
til about five or six weeks ago when
he came to this country. Altho he ad-
mitted by his own statement that he
had not worked any during that time
he said he had $3.50 when he came to
the United States.
Has Travelled Much.
Since arriving in this country Har-
ling claims to have Travelled much,