New-York tribune., 1918-01-26
Kaiser's Master Spy Thinks
References to Liner
Prejudice Case
Judge Rebukes Him
Witness Clears Swoboda of
Firing La Touraine, Victim
of "Cigar Bomb"

Although Franz Rintelcn, chief of tn
halsers American spy squad, went t,
prison rather than break the dipnifjet
silence with which he met charges n
forging passports, promoting Mexican
border disturbances and fomentin.
munitions strikes, he became clouuen
yesterday when the Lusitana TRACED,
was referred to at his trial for con
spring to fire the British freichtc1
Kirk Oswald.
ne lmpasslve faces of the ffteer
other Germans on trial with the plo
master before Federal Judge How,
''2ntcd up when Assistant Attorne,
James W. Osborne, jr., attempting tt
! 1eircsh the memory of witness as te
INC time when bomb making begar
aboard the interned German line,
Friedrich der Crosse, suggested the in
dustry started soon after tho Lusitania
was sunk. The witness agreed. anc
thereafter mention of the vessels de.
structlon was frequent in the tran.
scripts Of testimony given by the de.
1cndants In previous trials and ad.
lnitted TO evidence in the present pro
cceding. pi''
ASKS Permission to Speak
klntclcn's composure cbbcd with tho
recital. Suddenly he rose from his
and said: 'NN@o oei'ci'
~ ask to be allowed to speak. Every
witness called in this trial has re-.
uGfred re, to the sinking Of the Lusitan;a
ms submit, is not necessary nor to
inc point This reference is preiudicinl
20 my case and to the interests of nv
leiiow defendants. The Lusitania"
are "a, you not represented by coun-
SCI InterJected Judge Howe.
.Iy counsel, George Gordon Battle
nis p;s ngcn called to Washington" replied
You must decide whether YOU wish
TO be represented by counsel or
whether you wish to represent your
SELF said the court. "No question or
issue IS now raised by counsel for your
fellow defendants and the court does
not wish to listen to your personal
views about testimony which has been
admitted and not objected to by coun
sci. Inc court is not favorably inn
pressed by this incident. 1t appears
that this situation was created for the
purpose OF allowing you to make a
speech to the court and jury"
Attorney Tries to Explain
William {. Wemplc, attorney fol,
Charles Won Hleist, one of the dcfen-
dnnts, informed the court that he rem
resented Rintelen pending the return
OF Mr.. Battle. Rintelen, he said, had
not informed him of his intention to
address the court, but desired to with
draw his statement
hats all he can do, it seems to
me, responded the court, and ad.
journed the hearing until Monday.
he most sensational testimony of
the day was given by Herman +. w.
Ebhng, formerly a "waterfront spy,n
more recently an orderly at the Bloom
ingdale Asylum, and now interned as
an enemy alien Of dangerous procliv-
lties. Ebllng, testifying for the GOV
crnment, declared the fire bomb which
set ablaze the French liner La Touraine
III March, 1915. was one Of the "cgar"
type made on board the Friedrich der
Crosse and was put in the Touraine
cargo in this city by German agent
who escaped detection.
Ebling declared he was paid S25
week tor his services in discovering
me sailing dates and details of the
,argoes of Allied ships. This money
was paid him by Carl SchimmeI, who
is now in Berlin Schinmel also in
him, Ebling said, to place
bombs aboard ships.
Instructions to Spies
In April, 1915, he continued, "Schim
mel told me he had men placing bombs
on ships moored in Manhattan and
Brooklyn. lie said it would mean good
'ay if | could get some into the car
goes of Allied ships. He said that. if
could not get work on board the
hips, could do the job from the
'lers lie told me to go ahead and
get job on the Wilson Line pier. At
erward, he said, he would give me
allied the bombs cigars.'"
Ebling said he obtained employment
IS directed. and visited Schimmel at
ais office, where he was given "cigars"
md instructions, and enjoined to cal
ways do a good job" He took thc
bombs, but, instead of placing them
IS directed, dropped them into the
liver.
When the news reached New York
nat the Touraine had caught fire while
90 miles from Havre, and that the
ltIlcn dutNOfltleS haU arrested Raw
mond Swoboda, one of the vessels pas
'engers, Ebling said Schmmcl laughed
:eartily and cxclaimed
1--WE put one over on them! The man
'ho put the bomb on the Touraine is
till working in this city"
Three days after the Lusitania was
unk, tbling said, he left Schimmel and
pplied to Captain Otto Wolpoert, on
ne Atlas Lane pier for employment.
is one of the defendants
after questioning him concerning his
employment with Schimmel, Ebling
aid, Wolpoert hired him.
Appeals for Fatherland
"Don't expect to make too much
Money 'Enilng quoted Wolpoert as
aging: Remember, you're a German
eservist. and should be willing to worl,
or the Fatherland without thought of
money"