The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-20
Two Santa Fe Shop Men Put
Under Arrest Today.
One Who Concealed Nationality
Used Assumed Name.
ADMITS HE is A GERMAN
Charles Wickens Has Worked
in Shipyards in the East.
Gus Fink Knocked the Govern
ment and Liberty Bonds.

In the arrest today Of Charles
Wickens. alias Charles Lehman, ma
tive of Germany, and Gus FINK, SSz
Swygart avenue, employees at the
santa Fe shops, the United states
marshaPs office took another step
toward breaking up what is beheVeo
IN he a nest of pro-German agltators
81 The shops. These arrests today
make the third since Monday OF en-
pIoyes at the shops charged with sedl-
tious pro-German utterances Len
man was arrested at the 81. CndrleS
hotel "
ed at Lehman. He at first told OF
ficerS he was born in New Jersey ana
was raised in that state by people
whose name he could not remember.
He declared his parents died when ne
was a baby.
Under cross examination by G. e.
Jackson. deputy United States mar
shall. Lehman finally admitted he mad
been in Topeka the last two weeks
admitted he had worked in the Santa
Re shops in Chanute under an as
sumed name for a week
Admitted Assumed Name.
The name Lehman was adopted by
him Immediately after quitting work
in the shipyards in the east and upon
coming to work in the Santa Fe shops
in Kansas he admitted. Asked why
he was working under an assumed
name, he replied:
1t was just a notion.
To "A newspaper reporter who talked
To him, l. shman said ne was Union
man and stated that was one reason
vrhv he had adopted the alias. Asked
wiz he had desired the alias on ac-
count of his connection with a union
while workin in an open shop Whicll
did not bar union laborers. he refused
aI1r ms
two weeks ago. .ea,,,
Arrest of Lehman followed lnforma-
tion received by Jackson that he had
openly boasted the United States could
not whip Germany and he had helped
make dum-dum bullets in Germany.
He has quoted figures extensively con-
corning the size of German armies and
in many ways has aroused suspicion
of employees in the shops, according to
jackson.
Came to L. :. in 1892?
Lehman told jackson he came to
America in 1892 and had worked as
ar experienced mechanic all over the
country. He is AS years of age and
unmarried, without any living rela-
tives. he declared.
jackson announced he would hold
Lehman in custody awaiting direc-
tions from the department of justice
to his disposition in an internment
camp at Fort Leavenworth. Under
the present regulations the marshal
sends a report of the arrest to Fred
Robertson. United States district at
torney. with suggestions and this re-
port is, in turn, forwarded to the de-
partmenI of justice for final DISPOSE
ton vita recommendations of Robert
son attached to those of the marshal
Gus Fink, the other Santa Fe shoI
man, arrested claims to be a citizer
of this country, born at Alma, Wa.
baunsee county. Being a citizen anC
not an enemy alien he must face E
hearing before the grand jury in To.
peka in April and must be arrested
on a warrant.
Knocked Liberty Bonds.
The warrant under which Fink wa.
arrested charged him with seditious
utterances, conveying false report!
and false statements with intent t.
interfere with the operation of mill
tary forces of this country. Affi
davits in the hands of the marsha
credit Fink with the following state
ment:
Germany will win the war ant
the Liberty bonds being sold by thi
government to carry on this war ar
worthless, and the man who buy
them will lose. 1 won't buy an,
bonds and I will do what 1 pleas
and I don't fear the United State
authorities. Germany is right in thi
war and the United States is wrong
Fink was arraigned before Franl
Campbell. United States commission
and his preliminary hearing was Sc
for o'clock Monday afternoon. H
was released on a $1,000 bond fur
nished by August Fart 519 Swygar
avenue. his father-in-law Fink i
married but has no children.