The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-09-28
DASTARDLY WORK OF GERMAN SPIES
DISCLOSED BY Seized DOCUMENTS
That emlssaries Of the Kaiser Struck Many Foul Blows
Proved by Papers Made Public by the
Government


freeusntea during i've years Of sinsu-
isriy ouist ana uneusinsssliks exist
snes ehiedy By Germans who had moth
Ing Whatsoever to do with advsrtisinG.
The other was . large safe bearing the
Insignia OF the German imperial gov
srnmenS.
One morning In April. 1918. govern
msnt secret service men visited this
sane Wall street once while Won Igel
was preparing Q mass Of papers which
he had taken from the safe for traus-
fer to the 0srman embassy in WASH
ington.
Find Lists Of splsa
When the papers were examined by
the department. Of Justice the reason for
Won Igsls determined night became ap-
parent Here. in the form Of letters.
kilograms, notations. checks. recepts.
OF spies and other memoranda and rec
ords were found indications-in some
| instances OF the vaguest nature. In
others OF the most damninG conclusive
nsss-that the German imperial gov
srnment through Its representatives, in
. then friendly nation. was concerned
| with:
| Violation Of the laws Of the United
States.
| Destruction of lives and property in
merchant vessels on the high seas.
Irish revolutionary plots against
Great Britain
| Fomenting i'll feeling against the
| United States In Mexico.
| lecturers.
Financing Of propaganda.
Maintenance OF spy system under
the guise Of . commercial invsstiga-
tion bureau.
subsidixing of q bureau for the pur-
pose of stirring up labor troubles in
| munition plants
Tho bomb Industry and other related
| activities.
koenie-von Papen commsres Bureau.
| Perhaps the most Illuminating single
| document in the collection 10 letter of
| July 20. 1915. reproduced as II ap
peared upon the stationery of the Blu
| reau of Investigation" This innocent
| pretending agency was At the outset
| the secret service of the Hamburg
| American Steamship company. Under
Paul Koenig. its manager. II became an
| adjunct to the German diplomatic secret
| service. Xxx 10 the secret designa-
ton OF Koenig. who 10 now under in
| dictments on criminal charges in con-
nection with this diplomatic" work.
and IL interned at Fort Oslethorpe.
The person represented by the ngure
| 1000" 10 Captain Won Papen. former
military attache of the German en-
| bassy and the practical executive of Its
underground system. The document de-
scribes the subterfuges Of xxx" (Koe-
nig) SO that he might not be Identified
| by the mysterious - when they met.
Xxx states that money was to be
unnamed person, under peculiar precau-
tions. through Check No. 14s on the
Riggs National bank, Washington.
| dated July 1e. payable to-
son was given As to why the payment
was made" says the report.
Bombs In Coal.
ha he
| recipient called at the passenger Of
fce of the - line" and made a state
ment which Is thus embodied in the
xxx report.
at the - building. but do not care
to state my local address. intend to
cause serious damage to vessels of the
allies leaving ports Of the United States
| by placing bombs which I am making
myself on board These bombs re-
semble ordinary Jumps Of coal. and
am planning to have them concealed in
| the coal to be laden on steamers of
| the allies"
Finally xxx states that "ths caller"
| brought with him Z sample bomb
such a. has been described to you by
the subscriber" and asks for the in
structions.
The document is lsttered at the foot
%. r. to 7ooo." indicating that the Sc
crst agent known as 20. r." had trans
mittsd It to Won Papen.
Check 10 Traced.
| Now for the proof. direct and unss-
capable. Check 1ts on the Riggs Nation
xl bank has been traced and added to
the secret service collection. 1t 10 pay
able to Kosnig and signed by Won Papen.
Therefore Won Papsn stands convicted.
on the evidence Of . report claimed A.
an of1lcial document by the Germans OF
paying money to q plotter dssignir to
blow up merchant ships sailing froi ie
port of New York. The person who made
this report is known to department of
Compare these documents with the fol-
lowing authorized statement from BSr-
lin, transmitted by wireless for publica-
ton in the New York Times In December,
1918:
THE German government has, nat
urally. never knowingly accepted the sup
port Of any person. group Of persons, So
ciety or organisation seeking to pro
mote the cause Of Germany in the United
States by illegal acts, by counsel or VI
any means whatever that could offend
the American people in the pride Of their
own authority"
Destruction was not by any means
the sole interest of Koenig's energetic
bureau. 1t concerned itself also with
spy enterprises To Koenig wrote Otto
West. an American citizen and pro-
prietor of the Hour Glass. at Soa Cor
ssO Fifth avenue recommending a rela-
tive of his who. according to his de-
scription must be an interesting and
somewhat formidable figure. Mr.. Vests
description. somewhat curtailed, follows:
He is q grandson Of the late Ober-
hofprediger Strauss of Berlin, brother
OF the present Mlitar Oberpfarrer Strauss
OF Potsdam. nephew of the late Admiral
Won schleinitx.. the late General Won Man
tsy, etc. This gentleman changed his name
some twenty odd years ago to an Amer
- LII
poets his German birth or antecedents.
the secret service Of the HAMBURG