New-York tribune., 1918-01-24
Bomb Plotter
Sorry a U-Boat
Sank Lsasita1aia
Now Insane, He Planted
Explosives on Liner, Tun-
ney Tells Jury

Not all stout Tcuton hearts we're
gladdencd by the news that the Lusi-
tania had been torpcdced and sent to
the bottom with her freight of men and
women ard children who woult, not
heed the imperial governments "vcr-
botcn.'
There was in New York City ono
patriotic lierman--it so happened that
he is now patient at Boomingdale.
Ind perhaps even then he was not to be
bcld to any strict mental accountability
for what he said and did-who bit
exploit OF the Fatherland.
The jury before which Franz Pin
tcicn and eleven other accused bomb
7 lotters arr on trial in the Federal
court heard at third hand yesterday
the words in whicn Herman Eblng,
otherwise "thc cigar man" voiced his
indignation. 1T was Inspector Tunrey
OF the bomb squad. who repeated them
in court as nart CT the general infor,na-
the only one among the defendants who
is not OF German blood.
The burden Of ":hc cigar mans"
complaint was this:
"AcE'. that dumkopf, the submarine
captain! 1t is contemplate what he
las done. lie has spoiled everything.
He has robbed US of the credit | had
many Of my cigars upon the ship. Be-
tore she got in the harbor she would
ave gone up!"
Before the Lusitania sailed, the in
spector said Bonface had told him.
the cigar man" had paid her a flying
visit and left aboard her a stock of the
goods in which he dealt The "cigars''
he distributed through her hold were
considerably above the average size.
with metal wrappers and filters of ex-
plcsives.
The inspector also recalled, upder the
G3uestion'ng q OF ASsis4ant United States
Attorney James W. Osborne, .jr., state
ments made by Eugene Reister, an
carrying bombs to "thc cigar man"
Relstcr was manager of a German
Masonic hall in Fifteenth Street.
He told me-" Inspector Tunnev tcs-
titled. that he had sickened Of the
cigar business, and that after our
round-up of the fire bomb plotters he
had sent an anonymous letter to me
saying we had the right men,"
Did YOU ever get such letter ?"
asked Osborne.
Never"
Did he mention Captain Wolpcrt?:"
"Yes; he said Wolport called him to
the McAlrin and said he would have to
get better results. He also said that he
and Joseph Zeffcrt had carried a box
OF bombs to DR.. Karl Schimmel's Office
away in a taNicab to deliver them 'on
the West Side They didn't find their
man. and: when they brought the bombs
back to s,chimmel, Reister told me the
latter emptied some Of the acids out of
them"
DR.. Schimmcl, ostcnsibiy occupied in
the practice of law, is alleged to have
been one of the higher ups in the fire
bomb plots. Zcffert was employed as
bartender by Reister, and branched
from the liquor into the "cgar" line.
From the testimony OF Detective
Sergeant Henry Sentf it was apparent
that The master minds" of the n,of
were gulleless and trusting lot. Seuff
who speaks German. had been sent into
the room at Police Headquarters where
Capta'n CHARLES Won Kl.ist was sitting.
following his arrest
DO you recall how vou werc dressed
at that time ?" asked Osborne.
wore Hannel shirt and an old pair of
pants. | was trying to pick out the
switch for the lights over the desk
when Won k,eist began to talk TO me.
me boss had thought he would
ne asked me ii | was u detective.
and said I wasn't. lust worked
around headquarters as q hand man.
told him. Then he wanted to know II
was Z German. and I answered him in /
'he language to prove it, He begged /
me TO deliver couple of notes fer him. !
and wrote them down in my own Book
Senfl identified the pages which had
oeen torn from his notebook. Tho
messages warned other plottors To sl,in
1t came out further in the police testi- 1
mony that another tip had put detec-
tiTes on the trail Of one Max kJel,
Whom they traced to Lincoln HOSPITAL
But Klein was dead when they got there.
-, me trial will so on at 1o:3oa this