New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-06
Find Explosives in Room
Near Interned Liners
in Hoboken
Told Hotel Keeper
He Planned Big Job
Prisoner Suspected Also of
Having Caused Explo-
sion at Black Tom

German Lloyd Line were found two
bombs of extraordinary construction
and other explosives. was arrested
yesterday afternoon by police and
Federal agents.
Chief Hayes of the HOboken Police
nepartment declared that other ar
rests probably would follow. Three
,,ouaintances Of Kolb were interro-
Gated at headquarters and released.
T. F. Horne, a police inspector,
and Louis Liebermann. an inspector
f,om the Bureau of CombustioleS,
sid that they had never seen bombs
Ike those in Kolb's room. They
we're made of steel pipes. seven
inches long and an inch and a quar-
Ter in diameter. Copper tubing de-
signed to hold and protect a long
tine fuse coils about the steel pipes.
The tubing is punctured at intervals
70 insure a free-burning fuse.
The nature of the bomb sug-
ee;,ed to the police that it might
have come from one of the war
bound German liners at the Hoboken
piers. One which was loaded was
brought to New York for analysis.
Planned to Wreck Plants
With such contrivances, the police
zy Kolb designed TO wreck several
rnitiOn plants, one of them Of such
nasnit-Ao lat tae ruin. Il the at
tempt we're successful. would be
repetition Of the Black Tom erup-
tion.
Kol5 moved into the Commercial
Hotel. where he was arrested, about
the time Of the break with Germany
The hotel is conducted by Herman
kOhler and was the headquarters OF
Lieutenant Robert Fay and Ernst
Becker, who were involved in the
plot to place bombs aboard Allied
vessels lying in this port. Hans
Schiller. who held up a ship single
handed. also lived there.
Kohler said last night thai two days
ago Kolb had told him that in a few
days be was going 20 DO big job"
for which he would get a lot Of money
and that then be planned 10 blow"
kolb according TO Kohler, was good
liver" spending his money freely.
Blames Stranger for Bombs
Kolb was a. lunch in the bsrroom
Of the hotel when arrested. He imme-
dis;e.y protested his innocence. asking
for an Interpreter. When the CON-
p.e.ed bomb was discovered wrapped in
one Of his shirts and hidden at the
back OF bureau drawer. he -2id tina.
nan, whom ne knew only as Karl
rad used his room as q laboratory. All
o. the material for making bombs
which was concealed in the place, be
longed 20 the stranger, he said.
In addition 10 the bombs found ir
be room were found black powder in
assk, bearing the label Of the Indiar
Rife Company. subsidiary Of the Du
Pont Company; two laboratory bottles,
ore containing benzine and the Other
sasolene a quantity Of rosin, roll %
absorbent cotton. a pssteboard pill box,
containing yellow crystals thought 20
ts pierre acid, a small bottle Of alco-
hol, several feet Of steel wire resent
Ing piano wire. and two tin cases IN
which the bombs were 70 be placed.
Al tne noooken Police headquarters
hol0 vas qYes..oned oy Chief Of Police
Fst7ics Hayes and Captain Tunney. OF
ne New York neutrality squad, who,
"ih Omcers Coy. Poignant and Bar
i'z. had asslsted in the arrest.
oa'rc - small village near Co
,sgne. hc sa.d he had first come 20 the
,hiied States in July. 1914. on the tank
Nssmer Usage, which is listed as tho
property Of the Deutscher-Amerikan
tfifoieum Gas Company Soon aftc-
lf arrival be- went 20 Mexico. and made
tfersi trips back and forth bctwceo
"fh 1oTs and that country.
Admits Ne Is Chemist
hob declared that he had worked as
'eaman and attempted 20 establish
al a. hi2 only profession. u was
.afned from other sources. however,
~, he vas druggist and chemist. a
'a,i which be- later acknowledged.
~ Me time Of the Black Tom explo-
pn ~ nas living in Jersey City. but
1p lincplfy lu remembering much
S>at the catastrophe or his address
leai date, although. according 20
fi haycs. BE- seemed 20 know the
.,esliiy yery thoroughly Recently he
=. employed ~ . bartender at Kem-
~ saloon. Fourteenth Street and
N'iscn Avenue. Newark. but for the
- I'VE weeks has been without work
sl' hss lived ~ the HobOken Hotel
"Ilag tl.Zb week for his room.
~ ne time % his arrest be had
Hs npnoy. but he admitted that
isf Tefks ago he had $40. When
80 what had become Of ~ he said
~ be vas pretty liberal" he had
~ hnsnced. be said. by the stranger
1p, whom be had met in bar
I'm >nd who frequently came 70 ms
Dm Ken b. described ~ being
''A1. tall. stout and smooth shsyen'