Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-02
AUTO REPAIR MAN HELD
AS DANGEROUS ENEMY
Federal Agents Summarily Arrest
Wilhelm Paul Richard Blumkc,
OF Orange.
is NOW IN THE HENRICo JAZZ.
Said to Have Made Statements to
His Ncighbors as to Powers OF
His Iathcrland and UHconqucr-
able Spirit OF the German People.

Casting gu; a draSnct III this dis
! trlct, secret service agents last Satur'
day morning arrested Wilhelm Pau
Richard Eluinkc, thirty-onc years old
Of Orange. as a dangerous alien
enemy. Blumkc is now in the HcnrvC
County Jail awaiting disposition of his
case by the Federal authorities III
Washington.
When asked about the arrest y!
! Glumkc and their reasons for keeping
il quiet. Federal officials in this city
replied that they knew nothing other
than that Elumkc was - dangerous
alien enemy. that he had been locked
up in the licnrico County Jail. tina.
his case had been brought to tho at :
tcntion of the authorities in Wash
inSton and that he would probably
be sent 20 an internment camp in a
short while.
However. il has been learned thai
Elu,nkc has been under the survcii-
ancc of the Federal agents Tor five or
sin weeks and Il was only recently
that they decided 10 place him under
arrest. The policy OF the Federal
authorities in cases of this kind is 70
keep the Subicc; under close watch for
some time and if his activities are
such as to warrant arrest. he is lock cd
up. II an alien enemy has taken no
positive action. but is considered OF the
TO cndangcr public safety ard health,
he is placed under arrest for the pro-
lection -: the country.
IN CELL. NEAR GAEDt;
AND WILLIAM BUHIlIG
Elumkc. who is thirty-one years old
and. unmarried. is tall upright aud
closely shavcn. When permission MAS
asked TO interview Blumkc. the i'm
mediate reply was tina, he was under
special guard with other German alien
cnemies-in a cell near William Buhrig
and Hans Kari Robert Gaedc. but UNI
able TO &c; in touch with either Of
;hcm-and that no one Was allowed TO
see him without special permit from
the Federal authorities.
Blumkc has been in Orange since
last Christmas. When he FIRST came
there he established a small automo-
bile repair shop. rrior to his arrival
in Orange he WAS In business in Gull
pepper. He went TO Culpcper from
Washington in April. 1917. immediate
~ after the declaration OF a state OF
war between the United states and the
imperial German government As
Washington is forbidden territory for
all German alien enemies Blumkc was
forced 20 leave.
In answer TO questions from the
secret service agents, Blumkc said thai
he came TO this country when he was
sixteen years old. He said that he had
no; taken out his naturalization papers
because he was expecting large in
hcrtancc from his Grandmothcr's
estate and that ii he foreswore his
German allegiance, this bequest would
be lost.
After being put through a rigid cX.
animation Biumkc nnally admitted
that he had talked rather freely about
the prowcss OF his tathcrlnnd and
boastcd about tho unconquerablc GER
man spirit But he categoricaIly de-
MED any statements in anidavits al
legged TO have made by certain OF his
ncignborS.
Rlumke is said 20 he somewhat q
genius in handling machinery. While
conducting his repair shop in Orange
he took French engine from q motor
cycle and surrounded il with the body
OF AN automobile.