The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-04-14
j. s. DETECTIVES
ARE HUNTING FOR
THE EVIDENCE
A "WELL KNOWN GERMAN
ALLEGED TO BE FINANCING
THE CONSPIRACY.
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRES
CAUSING S4,OOO,OOO DAMAGE
The Discovery Of the Plot Was
Brought About by Differences
Among Men Higher Up in
the Plot.

NEW YORK, April 13.-Detect-
ives who yesterday arrested four
Germans charged with placing
bombs on ships carrying war NUM-
tons to,--the entente allies TODAY
sought evidence involving well
known German" who is alleged to fl
nance the fire bomb conspiracy. Thev
sought also the arrest of the chemist
who did the chemical work in the
manufacture of the bombs The
name of neither has yet been revealed
i employees OF the Hamburg
American Line and North German
Lloyd Steamship company here are
under arrest charged with ATTEMPT
EN- arson, either in making bombs or
taking part in the conspiracy They
are Ernest Becker, an electrician of
the steamer Kaiser Friedrich der
Crosse; Capt Vharles ven Kleist su-
perintendent Of the New Jersey Ag-
ricultural and Chemical company of
Hoboken, N. j.; Capt. Otto Wolpert,
superintendent of the Atlas Line
piers OF the Hamburg-American
company, and Capt. Emo Bode, su-
perintendent of the Hamburg Amer
ican Line in Hoboken.
Preparations were made to arraign
them in Brooklyn court today to
answer the specific charges of plac-
ing bombs in sugar bags on board the
steamer Kirk Oswald On May g 1915,
The steamer caught fire from bomb
explosions while on her way to Mar
seiles, France. Unexploded bombs
were found in her cargo after her ar
rival there.
Police Captain Tunney, who has
charge of the men, regards the ar
rest of the four prisoners as the most
important stride yet made in the de-
tention Of a great conspiracy to de-
stroy steamships sailing wit war
munitions. The police believe the
men involved have been responsible
for fires on at least 33 steamers that
have caused $4.000,000 damage.
They assert they have evidence that
bombs made by a Hoboken factory
ostensibly operated for the manufac-
ture of fertilizer, were sent to all
parts of the country.
Detectives asserted today that one
of the prisoners said that he had
been sent to the factory in Hoboken
by Capt Franz Won Papen
The Hoboken factory was a small
structure in which few men were
employed. One of the prisoners told
the police 1t was used at first to
make fertilizer for shipment to Ger
many through neutral countries and
that the Germans extracted lubricat-
ing oil from the fertilizer.
Both Becker and Won Kleist are said
by the police to have confessed max
ing the bombs.
The parts played by Capts. VOL
pert and Bode have not been told.
1t is hinted that the first clue to the
conspiracy came to the police as a
result of a dispute between the men
higher up in the conspiracy and the
chemist. Many of the. bombs are
said to have failed to explode and
consequently the chemist had diff
ficulty over his payment.
Hoboken authorities say discovery
of the plot was brought about
through discomfort of a man who
had quarreled with the leaders over
money payments. The authorities
said this man. whose identity is with
held. told them that Capt. Boyd
and Capt. Won Papen had before
their departure from the United
States, placed large sum Of money
at the disposal of the bomb makers.