Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-04
Four Men Held in New
York Charged With Being
German Agents.
MILITARY !, ACTS q
s, 81 VIA MEXICO
Jn' a, ,satss Mails Used 20 Transmit
>!!rmation 70 carranxa Land and
.,robably Wirslssssd 10 esrlin-Msn
Arrested Believed TO 30 Only Miner
Members Of sserst ssrvies orsanixa.
ton Maintained BY Kaiser.

New York. June with three men
under arrest who are alleged to he only
minor figures in conspiracy to trans.
NIT military Information to Germany
thru regular mail sources. federal au.
thorities today said the developments
German spy system.
Two Of the men arc said to be Amer
lean born and third nAturalized cit-
lien Of Switzerland. A quantity Of mail
seized Indicated transmission OF infor-
nation on steamships to Mexico and
then possibly by wireless to Germany.
Later the police made public the
names a the three men arrested yes
tsrday. They are Harry Psrissi. "su-
perintendent OF stsamahip COMPANY.
George Melohsr. a Harlem saloonkscper
and Irving Bonaparth. clerk.
A fourth man described AZ the son
of a German army captain Was arrsst-
ed this forenoon. The police refuse 10
disclose his identity prior to his ar
raignment,
Told ef Ele%illa's Departure.
The arrests are believed 70 turniah
tho explanation Of the manner-in wA1eh
Germany was informed OF The crossinos
Of tho American dsstroysrlGstillA Tour
days before Il had rsaohsd ehs otlIe1
side and IN time 20 enable German sub
marines to mine the port for which
they were destined.
The three men arrested are accused
Of carrying messages out Of the co.ins
try for German spies on board Of
steamships. Deputy Police Commission-
er Guy Scull and Assistant United
States District Attorney John G. Knox
refused to name the country into which
the Information collected by spies was
conveyed. Indications were that the
messengers took reports OF spies and
letters from persons engaged in trading
with the enemy to German agents In
Mexico. It In believed that military and
naval information OF value to Germany
was transmitted to her by wireless
The names Of the three men were
refused by the police. They were de-
! scribed as merely minor agents OF the
conspiracy. Two Of the prisoners arc
American born. while the third Is 4
natural!zed citizen OF Swedish birth.
Police intend to make further arrests
and are now seeking the chiefs OF tho
| German information service In this
country.
Knox States Charge.
"The charge against them at pres>
! ent," Mr.. Knox said, SIS that OF conn
| peting with the government by carry.
/ ing mail in opposition to the govern.
ment. These men were engaged with
others in maintaining a service for
mail which 1t was not desired to send
| thru the United States postoffice.'
Mr.. Knox was asked IL the discov.
! cries which had been made shovel
| that censoring the cables was insuff-
i cient to keep information from being
| transmitted quickly to Germany.
| 1T certainly shows" he said. "tha.
IGNORING cables Is not enough"
Names Of lntsrned Ships Changed.
| Washington, June 4-Secretary Dam
!els announced today that the names
| OF the seized German ships assigned to
F. the navy have been changed. Most Of
the vessels bear names OF coast towns
and cities. The Geier. tho gunboat In
termed at Honolulu. is renamed Schurz.
| for Karl Schurz. the famous German-
American soldier.
The Liebenfels. now the Houston.
was sunk In Charleston harbor
when the United States broke OFF dip-
lomatic relations with Germany, and