The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-20
CHARGED WITH
BEING SPIES
Two German-Americans Are
Locked up, Accused OF
Sending Information
to Fatherland.
INVISIBLE INK WAS USED
Alleged to Have Acted az Newspaper
Reporters In Order to Gain
Secrets From
England.
INVISIBLE INK WAS USED

United Press Leased Wire Service.l
NEW YORK, Feb. 20.-Some OF the
thrills of Europe's spy-chasing were
brought home to New York today IN
the tangle Of wild tales, synthentic
ink. of strong arm intimidation or
enemies, and of secret elnissarien,
revealed in the arrests on 1ederai
warrants Of A. A. Sander and Chas.
w, Wunneberg. The two spent .
night in Jail, but were scheduled FOR
appearance In court today when they
hoped to make bond.
The prisoners-both Of whom claim
to be naturalized Americans, although
of German birth-are charged win
gathering and disposing of British MIL
itary information, mostly to Germany.
Department of justice agents gathered
evidence against them. They are
charged with sending pseudo news
papermen' into England, who gather
ed information of great value and
brought 1t back or sent 1t back to
America.
To slip some of this information
through the British guards. synthentic
ink and all the subterfuges Known to
spies were employed
Sander is an employe OF w. H
Hearst's "Deutsches Journal ana IS
president of the Central Powers War
Film exchange. Wunneberg Is his as
sistant.
This is not the first time that San
der has been under police suspicion
for certain near-spy activities. lie
was one Of two Teuton1c sympathizers
of Captain Boy-Ed who tried force and
duress to get Mrs. Richard P. Stegler,
wife Of a German reservist and
prime witness against Boy-Ed's prop
agandist activities, to recant. Wunne-
berg is also we'll known in German
circles.
The two men were captured after
American secret service operatives
had investigated the case-on LID
from the British authorities-for more
than two months.
Since May, 1916, the government
charges the two sent at least sixteen
newspaper men" over to England.
Attorney Oberwager, retained by
Sander and Wunneberg, insisted his
clients were victims of false informa-
ton which deceived the department
of justice He said they were engaged
in distribution OF war movie films OF
the German armies Sander flatly de-
MES all charges as ridiculous.
First evidence of the alleged activi-
ties of the two defendants came, 1t Is
said, from the British authorities, dis
covery of alleged activities in Eng
land Of George Vaux Bacon, a former
Cleveland newspaper man. His picture
was brought back here and he was
subsequently arrested in England. In
ouiries have been made to the state
department for information as to Ba-
cons whereabouts and on what charge
he was held in England.
Spy Bill Passes.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-The ad-
min,stration's espionage bill passed
the senate today by a vote Of sixty
to ten.
The espionage bill is aimed to
arm the Justice department to pre-
vent what is row believed to be a
Widespread, organized system of OBJ
tanning information relating to the
nation's defense and production capa-
city.
So thorough has the bill been
made that it has aroused Senator
Cummins and others to denounce 1t
at drastic encroachment upon In
fContinued on page 5)