The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-14
Nation Enemies Seek to Put
Mine-Laying Base Out Of
Business at New York.
GERMAN ARMY RESERVES
SAID TO BE INVOLVED
Boyd Reported to Be In This
Country and Has Visited
Navy Yard Disguised In
Woman's Clothing.

New York. March i3.-Ihree
hundred policemen armed with
ridc> were hurried to Fort HaI.,-
ilton ON BROOKLYN shore at the
-NarroWs tonight. and establish
cd martial law II had ,sssrn re-
ported to the police department
by the military authorities, that
500 German rsScrvists would at
tempt To destroy tho fort at midi
night
Three police launches, each
armed, were hurried to an an-
chora2c off the water side OF the
fertilization.
BY midnight the hour set for
the attack by thu German reserve
lists. according to the military in
formants of the police, Fort
Hamilton was guarded from both
land and sea sides In such man
ner as to make an attack utterly
impossible.
Destroy Mine Base.
The object for the. attempted dee
struetion of the fort, the police de-
partment was told, was TO destroy the
,ase from which all mine-l laying oper-
atoms in New York harbor would be
conducted Ia the event Of war.
Should it become necessary TO mine
he harbor and waters adjacent to
New York. Fort Hamilton would be
the supply center for the sea ex-
plosives. Knowing this. the reported
llot of the German reservists was
framed to render the United States
powerless. at least temporarily, against
mining metropolitan waters against
submarine attack if war comes.
The first rumor that German re-
servists had set midnight for con-
certed attack against the fort reached
Deputy Police Commissioners Cooley
in Brooklyn from an army officer.
ON the appeal of the military authors
ties for aid. Police Commissioners
Woods preparedness program was set
at once in motion.
Borough Inspector James A Dillon
and Inspector Joseph Conroy were
notified and all available police re-
serves We're stripped from the pre-
cincts in Brooklyn. They were armed
with rifles and hurried to the fort.
After establishing a police guard
a man every fifty feet-along the land
and water front sides of the fortifica-
tons. Inspector Dillon made the foi-
lowing statement:
Issues Statement. E4
"A persistent rumor continued to
reach me from many sources that
many German reservists were congre.
eating with a view to demolishing the
fortifcations at Fort Hamilton. The
reserves sent from several "~ecii i
are acting as an additional guard CO.
operating with the soldiers.
Amy man who attempts to get into
the fortifications will be dead man."
Plot To Attack Fort.
Reports that from FIVE hundred TO
a thousand men had congregated II
South Brooklyn for a concerted ~
tack at midnight on Fort Hamilton
reached Deputy Police Commissioner
Cooley. at Brooklyn headquarters 70.
night from an army officer.
He notified Borough Inspector Dill
Ion and Police Inspector Joseph Con-
roy. of the Sixteenth district. TWp
hundred patrolmen, fifteen sergeanta
and five lieutenants armed with rifle1
were rushed to the fort One hundred
and fifty more were sent at midnighf
making total of $40 men. Martial
law was established and no one was
allowed within a block OF the fort.
Police headquarters were establish-
ed temporarily at the Fort Hamilton
police station, a half-mile from ths
fort. Just before midnight Commits
sioner Cooley. Inspector Conroy. In
spector Dillon and Inspector ThomaA
f. Murphy, with number of poltce
secretaries held a conference to an
range defensive measures In the event
an attack were made.
Much Excitement At Fort.
Colonel Rafferty,, commander o.
Fort Hamilton. has three companies
OF men, totalling more than 800 mon
ready.
AT 1880 o'clock the telephono
operator said the police were expected
to arrive at any minute. There was
considerable stir inside the army
post and searchlights were mAAe
ready for instant use. M
Many residents who saw large NUM-
bers of policemen pass their homes
became alarmed and called poles
headquarters in Brooklyn to ind out.
what the trouble was about
At the department Of the East ~
the United States army. at Governorso
Island, the report that a rumored IT.
tack was to be made on Fort HAmil-s
ton was denied. "
When told that the report had beon
received at Fort Hamilton. the of-
,keiat OH the. ether end of the wire. yeaA.
feard to say aside Fort Hamilton
has given II away. We might - Weff
give them what we've got. They'v~s
got the story" Is
higher Official then came to thas
telephone and declined 10 make fn1
statement. He denied that fr0oD1
were leaving Governors IslAnd f~s
Fort HaMilson m gniG tAn n
~ S