The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-05-01
VASSAR GERMAN
TEACHER SEIZED
AS ENEMY ALIEN
Miss Richrath Accused of
Justifying Lusitania and
Invasion of Belgium.
DIR. JOSEF sTULZ'S FRIEND
Women Of Social Prominence
Outside of College Used to
Spread Propaganda.


spreade% Of enemy propaganda led
last night to vassar College. Poush-
keepsie. and resulted in the ar
res: and detention OF Miss Agaths Will
helmina Richrath. an Instructor Of Ger.
man in the Vassar faculty. The specific
charges against Miss Richrath arc that
she publicly Justified the sinking Of the
Lusitania and the invasion Of Belgium
10y the Germans.
In 4 statement issued last night Dr.
henry Noble MacCracken. pres!den. OF
Nassar, said that action By the vassar
authorities had been delayed only be-
,ause ot the fact that Federal investi-
cation Of the case had been going on for
~one time. DR.. MacCracken declared
'aat he was ignorant Of the exact ma
'nre Of the charges against Miss Rich
vath and that while no complaints OF
any exhibition Of disloyalty In the class
;ooms Of the college had reached him
ne had nevertheless heard Of certain
iadiscretions'' that had been committed
N the course Of private conversation.
1t is said that Miss Richrath's alleged
Justification OF the torpsdoinE OF tho
l.usitania. by which more than a hun
dred American lives we're lost. was based
on the ground that the chip was loaded
with bullets to kill our German fathers :"
Only last Thursday allegations tha,
me Lusitania carried explosives a0d am
nunition on her fatal voyage were with
drawn In the hearing before FEDERAL
Judge Julius NJ. Mayer to establish the
status OF the vessel.
Friend Of Stsls aAl Deckiseh.
Miss Richrath's arrest Is the latest OF
several that have resulted, from the in.
vest!gation Of propaganda activities up
and down the Hudson River valley. but
which are said 20 centre In and about
Poughkeepsie. A week ago the Fedora!
officials net dragged in DR.. Josef Stulz
% Poushkeepsle, a chemist and former
captain in the German army, and Helm
ich Bockisch, an Austrian and ma anager
If Poushkeepsie organ factory.
Miss Richrath 10 said to have had IRE.
quent meetings with both Stuls ana
Bockisch and had been under observa-
ton for some time A. q result. lntima-
lions OF further arrests were made py
the Federal authorities. II was the
Vassar teachers Acquaintance with Dr.
Stulz, coupled with her reputed pro-
German utterances. that directed the at
Or. Stulz's wife Is a daughter OF the
la'e Jane. ". Hinkley. who was q
Poughkecps,e millionaire and once prom.
nert in state politics. His arrest
evoked the interest Of Judge Alton b
Parker. one time Democratic candidate
for President.
At the time OF the arrest OF Stulz ant
Bockisch II was said that both men hao
surrounded themselves with group OF
women Of social prominence and STAND
ing and that they conducted German
propaganda through them.
Outspoken at Birthday Party.
This fact, it is understood. led Il
much whispering and comparing o
notes among the undergraduate body a
Nassar. with the result that several o
the young women students are said Il
have recalled a certain birthday party
the home Of William Knauss. in Fair
view. a suburb OF Poughkeepsie. at whic
Miss R!chrath Is alleged to have ex
pressed such strong pro-German sent
ments as TO have offended several OF tn
guests.
Ar,one the latter is said to have bee
= well known Poughke epsie lawyer, whit
when he heard Miss Rtchrath's state
m.nts, led her along by one questio
after another until. he alleges In a
a5,,.,, .ha had exnresaeJ her salts
,,at,or o,.nr the .inkinr OF the Lus
,,,t, ,,,,;e.d w. Invasion of Belgiur
s,, .dSad ,h,, .he was not sorry 10
,ha n.rso,,s n,ro had lost their lives a
result. The lawyer placed his anidav
ona pisnSov
hs. t,'.,,eo.,io, y, tbe German ir
,,s,on =, ps,.,u,n Miss Richrath is sai
,o h,y. us.d ,he sr1umen, that "
n.rsor rnaw rn,,rde,. was being CON
ni,,sd ;n certain house two doc,
snav .nd tb., the murderer could b
,. -. ,h.ov~h t1,s hons