Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-14
Won PAPEN EMPLOYE
SOUGHT IN SHIP PLOT;
FOUR MORE ARRESTED
Police and Federal Agents
Sieze Other Germans for
Conspiracy to Destroy
Allies Ships
HUNT CHEMICAL MAKER

NEW YORK, April i4--Four German
subjects, all of the engineering staff OF
! the North German Lloyd liner Friedrich
| der Crosse, now tied UP at Hoboken, were
| arrested Yesterday afternoon by detectives
| from New York headquarters and agents
Of the Bureau of Investigators Of the De-
| partment of Justice, charged with being
| principals in the conspiracy to manufac-
| ture and place incendary bombs on vessels
| carrying munitions to the Allies The
bombs, the authorities say, were so timed
| that they would explode when the ships
! we're we'll on their way across the Atlantic.
! The men arrested were:
Carl Schmidt, chief engineer Of the
| Friedrich der Crosse. and Frederick Carr
bode. Wilhelm Paradies and George Prae-
| del, all assistant engineers on the liner.
fifth man, Walter T. Scheee, head
| Of the New Jersey Agricultural and Chem.
ical Company which occupies small one
and one.half story frame building In ITO-
boken, is the ninth American named in
the complaints sworn to before United
states Commissioner Houghton today.
1t was in this factory, according TO the
police, that the bombs subsequently placed
on ships were filled with the explosive
acids, after which they were delivered to
other German agents, who saw to 1t that
they were packed in innocent-looting boxes
and then loaded with the regular cargoes
in the ships that had been selected for
destruction on the high seas.
Scheele, who recently moved to Bogota,
n, j. had not been found up to n late
hour last night and Captain Tunney, OF the
New York police, said that he had little
hope Of getting Scheele for perhaps sew.
eral days. one report in the Fed
eral Building was to the effect that Scheele
disappeared several days ago.
II was said in Hoboken last night that
during the period OF his greatest activity
Doctor scheele presented l2 checks signed
by Captain Franz Won Papen to the First
National Bank of that city, which cashed
the checks. The total amount Of the
checks was said to be in the neighborhood
Of $4,000.
The four prisoners arrested Wednesday
Captain Emo Bode, assistant superintend-
ent Of .he Hamburg Line IN Hoboken;
Captain Otto Wopert. superintendent of
Atlas Line piers of the Hamburg g.Ameri.
can in Manhattan; Captain T. w. A. c.
Won kleist, who worked for Herr Scheele
in the Hoboken chemical factory, and
Ernest Becker, an electrician on the
Friedrich der Grosse--were transferred
from state to Federal custody and ar.
raigned before United States Commission
er Houghton, charged with having con-
spired to destroy various ships and their
cargoes by placing bombs in their car
goes.
The complaint on which they were ar
raigned was drawn up by Assistant
United States Attorney Roger b. Wood,
and sworn to by Sergeant George d.
Barnitz. of the New York Detective
Bureau
Prior to their arrangement the four
prisoners taken last night were subjected
to long grlling by Captain william NJ.
Ofley. superintendent Joseph \. Baker,
assistant superintendent Captain Tun-
ney of the police department, and several
Federal agents and city detectives in
the office of Captain Offiey. Becker, who
is the humble member of the arrested con-
tingent,. Is understood to have talked very
freely. as did also Captain Won Kleist.
but It was different with Wolpert and
Bode These two would not utter one
word that would incriminate themselves
or any one else whose name was mem
toned to them by the agents or the
police
The proceedings before Commissioner
Houghton were brief
The four prisoners were arraigned to-
gether Representatives of a surety COM
pany were present to bail out Bode and
Wolpert, but no one had taken any in
terest in Becker, Commissioner Hough-
ton called an interpreter. and through
him told Becker of his rights and that
those rights would be looked after by the
United States. II Becker has made n
complete confession as rumor has it he
has he will probably be granted immu-
nifty.
Commissioner Houghton fixed bail in the
case of Bode and Wolpert at S25, 900 each.
and at $4,000 each in case of Becker and
Won kleist. The pier captains gave bali
and were released. Becker and Won kleist
went to the Tombs