The Detroit times., 1917-12-06
BOMBPLOTS
ARE Barred
BY RESPA
LITER From Canadian
Prison Tells AmaZ-
ing Story

In rapid succession in The trial OF
Albert Karl kaifschmidt and the
1--WE others accused with him OF con
sp.racy against the government
Wednesday III was the testimony
Of Charles Respa, now serving a
iife sentence ir Kingston Ont. for
hts connection with dynamiting plots
iD windsor and Walkeryille. that
ended day Of amazing and thrill.
inF surprises
When Resp1 was brought into
court az the opening OF the after
noon session, has sister. Mrs Carl
Schmidt. W no with her husband are
among the defendants. leaped 70
her feet shouted her brother s
name. and then screaming wildly
plunged. unconscious, 10 the floor
Almost Immediately her daughter
OLGA II years old. who sat near
her mother also swooned The
court room was packed and the big
audience was thrown into an up-
roar Court officers carried the two
women into the Office of the United
states marshal After halfhour
Mrs Schmidt revived sufficiently so
that the case could proceed
Respa then under questioning by
John z KiDnane, district attorney.
began 20 unfold an amazing tale Of
The plots In behalf OF the German
government. og which Italtschmidt
and Jhe other defendants are ac-
Cused lie did not spare himself
his sister nor hts father. Franz
Rnspa. who is also q defendant He
made "a complete confession. not
alone OF the plots In and around
Detroit. bur of others the public
had nor dreamed OF. extending prac-
ucaNy from coast 10 coast The
master mind which directed the
widespread campaign OF dynamite
was Kalischmidt. Respa said
While telling his story Respa
+ locked directly az Kaltschmidt, who
sar like a stole, apparently the least
concerned of any person in the
room Respas confession covered
The entire time he had known Kalt-
schmidt. which dated from 1905,
when kaltsohmidt was manager of
the National Paint company. Respa
said he worked for Kaltschmidt a
few days q that time. but did not
see him acain until In 1918. when
he became Interested in the plots
which be helped 20 carry out He
identified q suitcase in court as one
I that hc placed against the wall o.
the Windsor armories II contained
dynamite and clockwork so that the
exr'oston could u timed ScGls-
thirc went wrong With the clock and
The dynamite did not explode
The witness said ne FIRST saw
the suitcase in KBtschmidts Office
in the Kresge building 10 Detroit
To was shown the ci0ckwork and
Instructed how 20 attach IL There
wore two sultcasos filed with dyna-
mite be said. and these were taien
across The river and left with vii
liam Letter. who is now serving a
sentence OF 10 years In Canada
Respa, accompanied by his sister,
went 20 Windsor carrying two 81
the clocks on the night ~ June 20,
1915. Later that night Letter gave
him the suitcases 20 which be a..
taChed the clocks One be left at
fho Peabody plant, in Walkeryllle.
and the other 4 The Windsor ar
mories He said that the clocks
were set FOR the explosion 70 take
place later go that he could got
away with his sister he caught
tho las. boat for Detroit. and they
later heard the mufhed report of
tho explosion az the Peabody plant
The following afternoon he said
be met Kaltschmidt and Leher on
Grlswoid.-t.. when he learned that
I only one of the bombs had eX-
ploded We said Kaltschmidt
seemed displeased that both had not
gone or Respa told % several
meetings with Kaltschmidt bis faith.
or, Franz Respa. hie sister. Mrs
. Carl Schmidt, Fritz Neef and Ida
+ Kaltschmidt Meet. Carl Schmidt and
OTHERS. when plots were ha'ched.
re told % going with one Gus
Stevens 10 Duluth. where they OBJ
tanned two suitcaso5 hlled with
dynamite IIe said they cut the
dynamite ND into small pieces and
after painting ~ black 10 make it
look Ike coal they took II 70 New
York and sought 20 throw o. into
the coal bunker OF ships about 20
put 20 sea They thought the dyns.
mite would he shoveled into the
furnaces and blow up the ships.
This plot was not successful He
also told of going 10 Winnipeg to
investigate thc possibility OF blow.
inr up fhe Canadian Pacific bridge
near there He described trip TO
Port Huron with suitcase filed
with dynamite with which he hoped
to wreck the ST. Clair tunnel They