The Washington times., 1918-01-01
BARONESS VISIT IS
SUBJECT OF PROBE
BY SECRET SERVICE
CONTINUED from First PaSe.)

for the German general stR1f, ana the
baroness and her husband moved
to Berlin, where they resided for two
years. The baron attended to his Of
fetal duties, his wife was personally
presented to the Kaiser at court
ball, and on several occasions had
met the empress of Germany. and
most OF the other prominent Germans,
who were high court functionaries.
| She also admitted that on two occa-
sions the children OF the Kaiser's sis
| ter-nieces and nephews Of the Kali
ser-had been her guests at birthday
parties given for her children at the
Won Kolberg residence.
an 1909 she was divorced from
Baron Won Kolberg In the courts of
Frankfort-on-the-Ma Shortly after
her divorce she went from England to
Naples. On this trip she met William
NJ. zollner, a Bavarian. with the rank
of lieutenant in the Germany army,
who. she claimed. had a leave of abb
| sence because OF a slight heart dis
order. She said that he was on his
way to Ceylon to hunt tigers.
Kennerly added that hunting tigers
was rather a peculiar sport for q
man having heart trouble. He then
continued: she claimed that Zollner
proposed marriage to her while on
the ship, but that she asked him to
defer the matter to a later date. She
returned to Rome where she accepted
his proposal. He returned to Ger
many to get permission from his reg
iment to be married. This was given.
and they came to America and were
married in New York. Then they
toured the world, sailing from San
Francisco in 1911. They went to
Honolulu, and from there to Japan,
then on to Singapore, where he pur-
chased from the Sultan of Johre, con-
cessions for a rubber plantation about
twenty miles from Singapore, the
naval base of the British government
in the East Indies. During the next
three or four years she divided her
time between London and Singapore.
Her husband stayed in Singapore,
only returning to Germany once a
year to report to his regiment, and
to have his leave OF absence ex-
tended.
when the war was declared be-
tween France and Germany. Zollner
was en- route to London. While in
the middle of the Mediterranean, be-
tween Suez and Marseilles, he made
arrangements to land at Marseilles
and come overland to France instead
of continuing his voyage by way OF
Gibraltar. However, she sent him a
wireless Just before he reached Mar
settles, advising that he not dlsem-
bark there, as war was about to be
declared. When the ship touched
Marseilles, Zollner offered 81 900 for
an automobile to take him to the
Italian frontier, but was unable to
procure any to make the trip. He
continued his voyage and landed at
South Hampton one day after Eng
land had declared war on Germany.
He was interned Immediately at the
Dorchester internment camp, where
he remained for three weeks.
Secures His Release.
ain the meantime the baroness in
tervened with high English officers Of
her acquaintance, one OF them being
Major General Sir Alfred Turner, of
the British army, and secured his re-
lease upon his giving his word of
Ionor as an officer and a gentleman
not to take up arms against England
during the war. The baroness also
Joined him In the pledge Shortly
after his release from the internment
camp, they sailed for New York as
steerage passengers. and entered New
York as American citizens. In less
than one month Zollner, with either
stolen or forged passports, showing
him to be an American citizen, sailed
from New York to some neutral port.
and thus reached Germany, where he
Is now serving with the German army
under Prince Ruprecht, of Bavaria, on
the western front. He Is on the gen
eral stan and is located some 200
miles behind the firing line
Baroness ZOllner admitted that on
nFOhAhIV hfaan Il
communicated with her husband by
letter through Mrs. Paul TurstiE, Of
Arnhelm, Holland. Mrs. Turstig I'M
derstood for whom the letters were
intended and would open them and
mail them to hNr. He would reply
through the same intermediary Cab
legrams were also transmitted in this
manner. The baroness also admitted
that Mrs. Carl Pickert, a cousin whose
husband was a German descendant,
had told her of this underground
method OF communication. Carl Pick
ert Is a manufacturer OF dyestuffs and
chemicals in New York. His goods are
made under German patents.
Seeks Divorce.
an November, 1907, Baroness ZolI-
ner filed a petition for a divorce from
Captain Zollner on the grounds OF de-
sertiOn. The British government
seized the rubber plantations in Je-
hore and other personal property in
London. as belonging to an alien
enemy. She stated that II the divorce
could be secured, she hoped to again
regain, through United States diplo-
matte channels, the confiscated prop
erty. The divorce has not been grant
ed. She admits that wherever she
has been for the past fifteen years
she has been able to become Intimate
ly acquainted with high military Of
f1cers. or members OF the families of
the officers in such country. These
damaging admissions were made only
after she had ascertained that the
Government could prove the evil
dence."
Discussing the history Of the lieu
tenant found in the room with Baron
ess Zollner, District Attorney Ken
nerly went on: "Spaulding was a
student in the naval academy at An
napolis for two and one-hRlf years
but was asked TO resign in February.
1917, because OF misconduct. This
was done in spite Of the fact that his
class was graduated one year earlier.
because Of the urgent need of naval