Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-03-17
SPYS ROB GERARD
HOPING TO.FIND
VALUABLE PAPERS
EVERY EFFORT is MADE TO GET
PAPERS FROM THE FORMER
AMBASSADOR.
ENVOY is TRAlLED BY sLEUTHs
EVERY MOMENT WHILE IN
HAEANA
WILL MAKE PERSONAL ATTACK IF
NECESSARY TO GET DocU.
MENTS.

Alexander II. Williams. n member
Of the Gerard party returning from
Berlin, writing to this mornings
Washington Post from Habana. March
10, says:
Following the arrest of suspected
German spies with the Gerard party
upon its arrival at Key West it was
learned here today that secret
agent of Germany, believing he was
obtaining valuable state papers, stole
package from the recalled Ambas-
sador in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel
here yesterday morning.
Secret Prussian spies, who have
logged Mr. Gerard's footsteps from
Berlin to the United States and who
are still with him, are under instrue.
lions to prevent him from delivering
to the Washington government Ger.
tain official reports which he is known
to possess.
Envoy in Fear of Life.
My informant states that they will
not stop at murder, if necessary, to
get the documents, and that explains
why Mr. Gerard has been under fear
OF assassination every moment of the
time since he announced to the for.
eign office in Berlin that he had been
recalled.
The package stolen from Mr.. Ger
ard here yesterday morning contain
ed only checks amountins to little
more than $500. A few minutes after
the robbery met Mr. Gerard and was
standing talking with him in the hotel
lobby when Mr.. Gerard suddenly saw
man and made an effort to attack
him. The man escaped 1t was known
that that fellow was one of a band
OF plotters who had come to Habana
Tor the sole purpose of obtaining the
Ambassadors papers 1t is now ex.
planned that Mr.. Gerard recognized
that man as the fellow who had stol-
en- the package of checks.
Spy Fooled on Steamer.
A secret agent of the Cuban govern
ment aroused me early this morning
with cable dispatch he had received
from Key West stating that man,
believed to be the German spy and
who had, made efforts to reach Mr..
Gerard On board the steamship be-
tween Habana and Key West had been
arrested there.
The dispatch directed the secret
agent to see me, as Mr.. Gerard had
been speaking with me when he saw
the man who obtained the checks.
The result of the call was that this
afternoon the man whom Mr.. Gerard
had tried to attack in the hotel lobby
left Habana on board the steamship
Olivette for Key West, with a Cuban
detective trailing him. | was assured
that the fellow would be seized as
soon as he set foot on American soil.
Personal Attack Predicted.
There are going to be important
developments in this case" a prom
inent official informed me this even
ing. Il am in position to state that
every effort is being made to get Mr..
Gerard's papers, and those efforts will
be continued right up to the White
House. Even if a personal attack is
necessary, it will he made. Berlin
has given orders that those papers
must not reach the Washington gov
eminent at any cost or sacrifice
While Mr.. Gerard was in Habana
his important papers were deposited
in private vault, Just before going
on board the vessel here Mr.. Gerard
obtained them from the vault. They
are in rather small black bag, and
Mr. Gerard permits no one else to
carry it,