Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-08
O'Ledry Is Indicted
With Woman Spy
Continued from Page One

taken to the Tombs Prison. The
woman was sent to Ellis Island. At
her request Judge Hand assigned Dud-
lev Field Malone to defend her.
In selecting Nine. de Victorco and
Lieutenant Commander Rodiger for es-
pionage work here. the German Foreign
Office picked two of the most astute
agents in the Wilhelmstrasse. They
were amply provided with funds and
directed to communicate with persons
in this country who would finance them
in their operations
The secret agents were also furnished
with names of individuals in America.
who because of tneir hatred for Eng
land would support any enterprise In
that direction In this manner they
came in contact with OLeary and Ryan,
and on more than one occasion the lat
ter supplied Mime. de Victorico with
large sums of money, according to the
indictment.
In addition to the group indicted.
two other conspirators. since deceased,
were active in the plotting. They were
Rudolph Binder. formerly an exporter,
and Hugo Schweitzer, who was con-
nected with the Arm of Bayer Cos,
aspirin manufacturers.
To the two German spies was COM
missioned the duty CT ascertaining the
military power of the United States and
how this could be lessened. Rodiger.
who posed as a citizen of Switzerland.
succeeded in transmitting several mes
sages to agents there, who communi-
Gated the information to the German
Foreign Office.
Another project decided upon by the
conspirators was the destruction OF
| quicksilver mines in America, with a
view to diminishing and stopping the
supply of quicksilver used In the pro-
ductions of munitions by the United
States.
Financial assistance was assured to
Irish revolutionists II they precipitated
an uprising. and propaganda was dis.
| tributed there callying upon the people
| to revolt against the British. This
scheme of operations was arranged here
by the plotters. the Indictment charges
and measures considered to render neg
ligible the aid of the United States ir
checking any possible support from citi
| zens In this country.
Among the overt acts named in tht
indictments are conferences held between
Nine de Victorico. O'Leary and Ryan
the first of which took place on July q
last in a house on Riverside Drive
Here they met person known to tn,
Federal authorities as Henry, Hurley
who has not been apprehended.
Following the conference. eleven day,
later, Fricke caused h cable dispatch tt
be sent to Often, Switzerland. which |,
believed to have contained in code i'm
portant military information for Ger
many.
When Nine. de victorico was ar
rested she explained she had come t.
this country on January 81, 1917. rep
Presenting herself as citizen of Argen
tina. Federal officials assert she admit
ted expending $4,000 In dessiminatin,
pro- German propaganda among the Irisl
In this country. most of which went I,
Irish publications,
She is declared to have acknowledge,
meeting Rodiger in Germany a few day
before he started for America.
Two indictments were filed against tn
defendants. One charges them with con
spiracy to commit espionage In violation
of Section 2 of the act of June IL, 1917
which provides death as the maximum
penalty or thirty years. imprisonment
The lesser Indictment charges them witt
Il conspiracy TO commit treaaop.s which !
/ pQnishablo BY two yearG iopy3oonnsn
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