The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-15
SpOrrman, a German Spy,
Attempted to Blow Mag
azine at Newport News
PROBABLY CAPTAIN
IN GERMAN ARMY
Documents Found on His Person Show
Connections with Boyd and Bern
storff-Visited Several Military
Camps as an Officer.

Camps as an Officer.
NORFOLK, Va, Jan. 15.-Naval in
telligence officers left here last night
for Baltimore with Walter Sporrman,
suspected of being an active figure in
plots launched in this country by Capt
Boy Ed. the former German military at
tache and believed to have been cap
tain in the German army. According
to the story unotficially told, the man
was arrested Saturday while in the act
Of attempting TO blow up a magazine
at the unfinished army aviation field
under construction near Newport News.
The prisoner will be turned over to
officers of the department of justice at
Baltimore for a hearing. SO far the
only charge formally lodged against him
is understood to be that he is a dan
gerous enemy alien.
Documents found on his sperson and
in his rooms in Baltimore. Md, how
| ever. are declared to reveal his con
nection with Boyd and former Ger
man Ambassador Bernstorff, and TO in
criminate in spy plot persons in
Washington, Baltimore and other cities.
Details of the contents OF the docu-
ments are withheld, but it is under
stood that they will lead to a number
Of arrests within few days.
Sporrman S activities are said to
have first attracted the attention of
naval intelligence officers many weeks
ago. but his arrest was deferred until
additional evidence could be gathered.
Officers followed him, night and day,
however. the quest leading through sew
eral cities and even to at least two
army camps. Frequently, according to
the story. the prisoner posed as an Of
tcer of the United States.
Finally he visited the great army and
navy base on Hampton Roads, but be
fore tAas4a~sasug naEalaagent, peggy
as a friend Of Germany, had made him
self acquainted with Sporrman. The of
ficer followed his man closely IN New
port News and finally to the aviation
field, four miles north of tie city, where
the arrest was made.
Documents found on the prisoner an'
in his rooms at Baltimore are alleged
to show that Sporrman began his worl
in this country some time before thu
United States entered the war. In on'
letter from Boyd, there Is said t.
have been reference to 100000 advanced
Sporrman by the chief of the German
spy system in the United States.
i There are reports that it has beer
established that Sporrman came to TN
United States on the German submarln
U-53, which visited Newport, r. l., NOR
than a year ago and later sank mum
" Der of merchant ships off the coast. Ot
ticiais, however, would not confirm TINS
Sporrman was closely questioned by OF
fcrrs while confined in the Jail at MOI
folk, but it was said that little informs
ton was gained. An effort Is said t
have been made to connect him wit
New Year day fire at Norfolk whle
laid waste nearly two city blocks, bu
apparently without success.
The fact that naval intelligence o.
ficers were handling the case led to tn
r belief that the first of Sporrman 5 a.
- tivities which came to the attention {
government agents was at naval has
. or station.