The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-15
WILSON'S LAST WORD TO
GERMANY READY; BREAK
WITH BERLIN EXPECTED
FIRE BOMB TRAIL MAY
LEAD TO POWDER MILLS
Search Of Missing Dr. Scheeles Laboratory Reveals Ex
plosives and Materials That Suggest More Extensive
Activities Than Plots to Burn Ships

Clues furnished by a search OF Dr.
Walter T. Scheele's laboratory III
Hobokcn, where fire bombs for the de-
struction of merchantmen are said 10
have been assembled, have led the Fed
eral and local police authorities to be-
lieve that out Of the arrests of eight Ger
mans in the fire bomb case may come still
more startling revelations concerning de-
structive wo.k in munition and powder
factories In this country. commonly
ascribed TO German secret agents.
Neither the Department of Justice nor
Capt. Tunney Of the bomb squad. whose
remarkably persistent detective work
caused the arrests in the ship fire mys-
terics, would make any additional
charge yesterday against DR.. Scheele.
who has vanished. nor would any one
admit the details OF the confessions
made by five of the eight men under
arrest or tell of the vast amount of evil
dence obtained ON the Friedrich der
CROSSE. i'm Dr. Scheclc's laboratory and
in the homes of the other men placed
| under arrest.
Ii was learned. however. that Lieut..
George Busby. Detective Sterett OF the
local police force and Detective kiely
of the Hoboken force had found a great
amount of startling material in DR..
Scheele's laboratory.
Find >unOkelcss Powder.
Dr. Schecles professed work in the
laboratory was the making of fertilizer.
Since the arrest of his assistants it has
been lea rnCd first thar ilc uspl III, la hO-
ratory to mix oil with fertilizer as a
| means of smuggling 1t into Germany.
and secondly, to assemble fire bombs TO
be placed IL is charged. OIL ships through
the aid of Capt otto Wolpert and Capt
Emo Bode. both conn. cted with the Ham
burg American Steamship Company.
The materials found 10y the detectives
yesterday suggest that DR. Schecle's ac-
| tivities were even NOR. extensive and
mysterious. In the first place. a large
| amount Of smokeless powder was found
| stored away In the laboratory, prcsum-
ably owned by the New Jersey Agricul.
utral and Ch, mical Company. Also there
were many different sorts of acids and
! components Of explosiv YES other than the
muriatic and sulphurc acid said to have
been used In the manufacture OF the fire
bombs
The detectives were unable to finish
their search yesterday. and though they
carted away an automobile full Of stun
for analysis hy br Lieberman Of the
bureau of combustibes they will return
again to-day. Furthermore. they found
a gOodly amount of lead. They learned
also that Dr. Schceie was accustomed 10
buy lead in lots OF 800 pounds that
these purchases amounted AT times u
three -ucii iui. III IL we.h. They i.aTneu
. also that 200 pound lots of lead piping
/ had been carried on board the Friedrich
der Crosse.
Phases Not Cleared -.
In view Of the fact that the engineers
on board the Friedrich der Crosse have
admitted they made about 300 hre
bombs, which at the most could not nave
taken more than $50 feet OF lead piping
the investigators think that Or. Scheele
was engaged in other activities. or at
least that the number of bombs far eN-
ceeded the 400 admitted.
Inquiry into the activities o. Dr
Scheele. who is described as the chemist
and manufacturing genius in the employ
! of men for whom Capt, Wolpert was the
Intermediary. elected the information
according TO Federal authorities, that
the chemist was accustomed 10 shir
trunks to different parts OF the coun'
been igned to different ports on bot
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and alsC
to points in Canada and the interior.
There still remain two important
phases OF destructive activities IN this
country. which have been ascribed tc
German agents, but which have never
been cleared up. They are the eXplo
sions in powder factories and fires ii
munition plants engaged in filling orde,s
fnr hA L.. gtAtI IN hA
authority for the statement that the ac'
tivties Of Or. Scheele, Capt. Wolpert anC
Capt. Bodc, together with the men above
them who furnished the cash, have beel
only partly set forth.
Furthermore, II has been asserted that
the cash which started Dr. Scheele. for
mer druggist in the fertilizer and alleget
fire bomb business, came from Capt
Franz Won Papen and Capt. Kari Boy,
Ed. recalled military and naval attache.
respectively of the German Embassy
and that Franz Won Rir rtelen, mysterious
German naval officer and alleged mem
Der of the German War Staff, gave him
$4,000 at one time.
Checks Investigated.
Furthermore IT was recalled yesterda,
that Won Rintclens mission 10 this coun
try was to prevent the shipments O
supplies to the Allies and that he va,
equipped with all the money needed
for that purpose. Accordingly, it Il
believed that the authorities already arr
on the trail of Information that will
show how Won Rintelen financed enter
priscs for the destruction OF powde
plants and muniiion factories
In connection with a thorough inquir,
into Or. Schecle's activities the check.
| which the chemist drew on yarious ha nh,