The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-01
Two Germans Caught With
Bomb Make Confession.
Were on Way to Place ExplO-
Sive in Bankers Office.
UNRAVEL WEIRD CONSPIRACY
Planned Fortune in Stocks Dur
ing Wall Street Panic.
To Cut Telegraph and Wire
Nation President AsSasSinated.

New York, May 1.-Confession was
made in court today by Wolf Hirsch
arrested last night with George Mey-
ringer. both Germans, that they were
on their way to GLOW up the offices OF
J. P. Morgan & Co. with bomb when
Intercepted by the police.
The men We're employed at ROose-
Welt hospital Hrsch. the police as
sert, besides being a chemist is a for
mer German secret service officer and
reserve petty officer in the subma-
Tine division of the German navy,
while Meyringer, who was a kitchen
man in the hospital, is an expert teleg-
raDher and d student of finance.
The Germans expected, the police
say, to make a fortune in Wall street
on short" investments by instructins
their brokers to buy Just as the ex-
pected tumble in the market developed
from the bomb explosion and the false
news Persons familiar with the mar
ket conditions have informed the po-
lice that the Germans either were mis-
led about the probable outcome of
such an occurrence in Wall street or
that they are putting this story for
ward TO hide their real intentions.
TraiIed Close by Detectives.
Hirsch and Meyringer have been
Swallowed since the war began, orders
having been given, detectives say, to
shoot either one on the first attempt
TIE police assert the two men visit
ed Wall street often and inspected
closely one of the most important
financial institutions in the country in
the vicinity of Broad and Wall streets"
j. T. Morgan K Co.'S offices and the
sub-treasury are at Wall and Broad.
Altho heavily guarded, the Germans
found a side door not so carefully
watched as the other entrances, the
police say the prisoners admitted, and
arranged to set off the bomb there at
night. one was to stop and tie a shoe
lace while the other lighted the fuse
and placed the bomb. 1t had a 30
minute fuse. This would have given
them time to be far up town when the
explosion occurred.
With the newspapers next morning
telling of the destruction. a main tele-
graph wiFe outside the city was to be
tapped and Meyringer was to send in
a bulletin of extensive submarine dep
rotations along the coast. The trunk
fine wires would then be cut after
the country had heard Of the presi-
dents death and othe. sensational
news and before details could be pub
lished the financial deals were ex-
pected to be put thru.
Admits Making Bombs.
Hirsch supplemented before the
court an alleged confession he had
made earlier to the police that the
explosion of a bomb at the Morgan
offices was a part of a scheme to
create a stock market reversal from
which he and Meyringer could profit
financially. He told the court he had
made the bomb under the direction OF
Meyringer and another man in a lab
OTatory at the Roosevelt hospital
where they were employed. He die
not know anything about the con-
struction of bombs himself he de
clared. Hirsch said that MeyringeI
had induced him to speculate in Wal
street and had suggested as a quicker
way of getting profits. a scheme tC
brighten the stock market. The pIar
included blowing up the Morgan of
flee and the sending out over tapped
telegraph wires of false news thai
President Wilson has been assassin
ated.
The men were held in $4,000 bal
zach