The Detroit times., 1917-12-13
NEEF WILL
TELL STORY
ON STAND
Alleged 4 vt e TIL b CT or
Bomb Gang To Tes-
tify For Self


morning, by HIS attorneys, Murtha
* Mistersky, that Fritz Neef, broth
srin.law of Kaltschmidt. and hus-
band Of Ida Kaltschmidt Neef. sis
ter Of the chief defendant. will take
the stand in his own defense. II
is said that he will make a full and
complete statement OF his alleged
connection with the vast network
of plots against the American and
British governments. for which the
alleged gang OF dynamiters have
been indicted.
II was not until Tuesday that
Meets connection with the plots
was prominently brought forward
Ia the testimony Of Sergt William
VI Jarosch anal Richard Herman al
legged cO-conspirators with the six
now on trial, it was charged that
Neef was the expert mechanic who
made the various ingenious internal
machines used I'm the dynamite
plots. II was sworn that Neef
made the bombs containing dyna-
mite and nitroglyccrine. and also
the famous roller skate devise by
which II WAS intended -to-Al Alida-tA.4-
devil machine" filed with dyna.
mite down the rails into the center
OF the ST Clair tunnel
II was after these disclosures that
IL was determined to put Neef on
The stand in TIE hope that he could
onsNt the damning testimony against
him
At the opening Of court Wednes-
day morning Attorney Murtha, rep
rosentIng Neef and his wife. con
fnued his cross-examination OF Her
man. who had turned states owl
dence and admitted thar he was a
tool Of the alleged plotters. Mr..
Nurtha made much of the fact that
The witness could remember imper-
fcctiy his actions since coming 90
Detroit eight days ago, hut has "A
clear recollection of the events con
nected with tie plot which trans
pired two and three years ago.
Attorney Tradley. representing
Katschmidt, followed the same line
and also tried 20 prove that the Wit
ness Understood English, and was
employing an interpreter so that he
could hear ne questions in Eng
lish and have timc to framc am
swers while the interpreter was
translating them. lie finally got the
witness 10 admit that he understood
English II spoken slowly. Tie also
admitted that in similar cases I'm
Chicago he testified part OF the time
without an interpreter
soon after the trial opened a stir
was caused in the court room by a
cloud OF smoke arising in one corner
of the room. Immediately the big
crowd began 20 grow nervous. II had
heard so much about internal MAJ
chimes and German bomb plots Dep
uty United States Marshal Walters
made n hurried Investigation and
found that a steam pipe had burst
Herman said hc went to the Ger
man consul IN Chicago ia 1914 10 re-
port, as everv German reservist
was expected TO do Tie said Jacob
son told him It was his duty 90 re-
turn 30 Germany TO Gght Ho said
that jacobson told he witness he
would obtain false citizenship pa
pers for him so he could get bacR
t0 Germany He sid The papers
were procured and nat he pracuced
writing the signature Of y. ID.
Bomb to hom The cltizou .hip pa
pers were ISSUED He said hc went
10 New Orleans in an 9ttcmpt TO
get back 10 Germany last October
and was given 500 by jacobson to
pay a steamboat captain for his
passage
Early in 1915, the witness said, he
plotted with jacobson and others in
Chicago with the idea OF starting
strikes in factories The conyersa-
tions on The subject werc held i'm
Tho residence of Jacobson in Chi
Cago. As these plots were being
hatchod kaltschmidt was present.
the witness said, and participated In
the plotting
The ro examination dragged out
intcrminably and was ,he cause
of many wordv clashes between bis
trict Attorney Kinnane and Mr.
Bradley. Repeatedly Judge Tuftlo
was forced to Interfere in an effort
to -pecd Up the examination The
witness seemed unable TO get the
meaning Of the attorney thru tho
interpreter. and about dozen
questions had 90 be asked before
MT Bradley was satisfied that one
question had been answered Tho
witness was taken slowly and labor
oualy over his entire story told on
direct.examination
He told of "a trim 10 Port HWou
With Kaltschmidt. who went to at
sfy himself whether The rtuo
had been correct I'm report me- tLat
20 was not feasible 90 dynamite rhe
tunnel there .hy any of thc method
which had been suggested lie al1
that be and KaltsChmidt carefully
Namlnod tho place and Tor Tho tm,
1olng abandoned thc project.
Norman described under eros
animation. Wcdne sls. afternoon
trlp ont 10 the Seven Muc-rd WE.a
Doc dug up the box known % fn"
"Doyi car" and other explosive
'etod bt secret sertIce man lit
mG Doc did most Of tne digging
After an hour OF the crosseX1m.
nation it waf discovered that
least one OF the jurors was a9leep
lie vas awakened and forced to r.-
1ain awake fhruout tie rcmaindtr
af Tho teAVmnv
Another little incident taD1.d ie
lypn uV matters bI. If was .l.
osctment OF man from .ne coH
room. Ilp was at frst found dul.ne
in the jury room by 20 dLull1- mar
shah and ordered our 0l thc hlidnE