Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-21
MYSTERY IN
HIS LETTERS
Lieut. Spalding's Missives Read
Like in Cipher.
GOVT AGENTS SUSPICIOUS.
Writes and Telegraphs, Signing Name
Preacher" but in Terms No Per-
son Could Undersiani-Close
Investigation in Progress

{ --~Nft lt~% nv NIeAcleA4AOOs,4
Times, December 1e, the Baroness
Iona zollner, as revealed by docu-
ments and correspondence in her pos
session seized by federal agents. is
mystifying to the officials and they de-
clare will require a great deal of ex-
PLANTATION TO clear up as in any re-
spect innocent Lieut.. Spalding is an
officer OF the Sixth United States In
fantry and has been at Oglethorpe but
few weeks. He has recently been a
student in the service school at
Leavenworth and, according to the
documents in the hands of the United
States marshal, can have been here
only during the present month.
The young officer has been under
the spell of the woman, or else in real
ity friend in the strangest and most
mysterious circumstances, for some
years Their relations probably date
to about the beginning of the present
war. He has written her letters,
given her certificates of good charac-
ter and has telegraphed her from
Leavenworth and from Chattanooga in
language that requires a code or a
key to decipher and understand. To
nearly all of these documents he has
signed the name Preacher" A young
rman at Annapolis, who writes the
baroness as her son-and a most loving
son, too-is perfectly acquainted, it
seems, with the identity of Preacher .
as well as with the relations that ex-
list between his mother and the officer
The signature, Preacher" was iden-
titled as that of Lieut. Spalding
through a number of documents in
the same handwriting signed by his
full name and rank.
The baroness seems to have come to
Chattanooga December 10 at the sum
LIONS of Preacher telegraphed her
at Washington address from
I.eavenworth. He gave her instruc-
tons where to stop and advised her
what the rates by the day would be.
not, however, giving the hotel facili-
ties of this city very good name He
again telegrapher her from here after
he had returned from the service
school and urged her to keep her ap-
pointment. All these kilograms con-
tain language and illusions that can
not be understood
One of the most interesting of the
documents found among her effects
was paper addressed ITO Whom it
May Concern" This paper is almost
entirely unintelligible to the man who
knows nothing about what Spalding is
thus trying to tell the public 1t is a
conglomeration of ridiculous descrip-
tons of filthy house in washington,
with testimony as 10 who was respon-
sible for the fifth. For instance. it
tells of woman tenant of the place,
bore this baroness, who had no
broom and yet kept il swept
sCrupulously clean. He tells Of
money advanced him that helped him
make an authorized trip to Leaven-
worth, saying he would have walked
if he had depended upon the govern
ment This allusion has no connec-
tion whatever with other contents of
the document This he has signed
with his full name with his army rank
In the woman's effect found in a
safe at the Park Hotel was a paper
containing such as this: "To Europe
via New York, Sept. IL, 1916, 235A
All WE'LL" Other formulate, not de-
ciphered as yet. were similar, with
other figures and Norfolk, for in
stance. as the port of debarkation for
Europe.
On an envelope was found the name
and street. address of a Knoxville
woman and who is the wife Of an alien
held under suspicion in that city and
kept continually subject to surveil-
lance by the secret service. Marshal
Thompson said that the possession OF
this address he regarded the most
suspicious of all the writing found
when he examined her effects.
The baroness has lived evidently, in
the restricted zone Tor aliens at Wash
ington, where every resident is regis
tered and watched by secret service
operatives. The government agents
are convinced the wonan's picture
will be found on file in the Depart
ment of Justice She has also lived
a great deal in New York and at vari-
ous addresses
Officers Of the SIXTH Regiment are
much chagrined at the situation Lieut..
SpaIding has created for himself, ac-
ccrding to a message from that regi-
ment TIE officers wanted the public
to know that they had no apologies
for him. but thar they were mortified
and shamed that the good name Of the
regiment. whicl hey declared had not
been stigmatized. before by any Of
Ger connected with it. had been hurt
and its long rccc71 of honor and pro-
bity among its officers had been
broken.
All documentary evidence in the
case was taken to Knoxville by Mar
shall Thompson. Gen. Kennerly will
come to Chattanooga next Saturday
to attend the hearing OF the baroness
before the Commissioner.