The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-19
Heliograph and Carrier Pigeon
Messages Reported Sent
Over Fire Island.
ACT NEAR CAMP MILLS
Mysterious Captures Made at
Hempstead-Innkeeper and
Builder Taken.

Sooh'y scStcruHy' Wnen tney tOOh into
custody near Hampstead, L. T., two mys-
FERROUS prisoners who were spirited away
TO a place OF secret Imprisonment with
out even their names or the exact place
OF their arrest becoming known.
Immediately after. the arrests had
been made 1t became known that for
more than two weeks the secret service
agents and military police authorities
at Camp Mills had been on the trail Of
a nest of spies who II is almost certain.
have been in communication by means
OF carrier pigeons with the U-boat raiders
that infested the waters of Fire Island.
where the United States cruiser San
Diego struck mine and sank, and
where, last week. the Norwegian steam
ship Somerstad, chartered by the United
States Shipping Board. was torpedoed
and sunk.
The immediate cause OF the arrest Of
the two mysterious prisoners. however.
Is said to have been the discovery that
heliograph signals were being flashed for
many miles across Long Island also in
the direction of the neighborhood Of
Fire Island. The Federal agents. II was
learned, succeeded IN dec!phering the
code that was used IN the conveyance Of
these messages. and then II was revealed
that they contained information of a
military nature which did not become
known generally fer from eight to ten
days after the messages were flashed.
Sending of Messages.
All OF the messages were sent from a
place In or near Hampstead, and only a
short distance from Camp Mills and
John Purroy Mitchell Flying Field. the
largest OF the group Of Long Island avi
alton fields recently named for aviators
who were killed In service.
Two other arrests which the secret
service operatives and the military po-
lice regard as OF extreme importance
also were made yesterday when Paul
Lonzer. proprietor OF a hotel overlook
ing Mitchell Field. and Joseph Harter. a
wealthy and prominent Long Island
builder, said to have served at one time
as an officer in the German army. were
taken into custody. They were hurried
to the stockade ut Camp Mills and are
being held their on charges of violating
the espionage law. They will be taken
to Brooklyn this morning for arraign-
ment before a United States Commits
sioner after questioning by the United
States Attorney for the Long Island
district.
As in the case of the mysterious pris-
oners who were taken earlier neither the
secret service agents nor the military
police would discuss the exact nature
Of the charges against Harter or Lonzer.
Lonzer's hotel was entered however. and
the secret service agents admitted that
they found there not only IA German flag.
but a picture OF the Kaiser. some pistols.
a German army uniform and a food sup
ply and other provisions which amazed
them. They said the amount Of provi-
sions interested them greatly. but they
refused absolutely to say why they were
so deeply concerned over the amount OF
food found in so small hotel.
Lonzer's hotel Is in the Meadowbrook
section and Is close to the former home
OF Mrs. o. H. P. Belmont. He was the
first of the prisoners to be taken to
Camp Mills and was under questioning
there for a long time. He was still
under examination when Hsrter was
taken to the stockade and submitted 10
a similar ordeal
Carrier Pigeons Traced.
The inquiry regarding the flights OF
the carrier pigeons is declared TO have
gone hand in hand with the investiga-
ton which was made OF the curiousy
worked Photograph communication. At
times. 1t was learned glasses were used
to fash those messages. but the opera
tiyes who took the mysterious prisoners
into custody were careful not to reveal
their contents beyond saying that event.
ually some OF the informal ton they con-
veyed did become public.
From the spot where the carrier pig
cons were declared to have been released
Il IL distance only Of sixteen miles to
Fire Island Inlet. There. the secret ser
vice operatives are known to have said.
investigation showed that numerous per-
sons were under suspicion Of having
been In communication with the U-boat
crews.
The arrest OF the unnamed men re-
vlved also reports that have been cur
rent on Long Island for many weeks OF
Investigations regarding men suspected
Of tampering with airplanes and equip
ment for the machines at Mitchell and
the other fields on Long Island. In spite
OF the official denial made at the time by
the flying field officers. gossip still con-
meets the death of the Italian aviator.
Resnati. with a machine declared to
have been tempered with before the
famous flyer started on his fatal flight.
Accused OF taking a photograph of
transport In violation Of the harbor reg
ulations. Caspari Papa OF 324 East
Fourteenth street was arrested yester-
day as ne stepped from the municipal
ferryboat Manhattan at the Battery
Papa is an embroidery manufacturer
The complaint against him was made by
John McDermott of 100 Duane street. a
fireman attached to Engine Company :.
Papa was accused OF having thrown
the Aim overheard when the fireman oh
served him working the camera. He
will pc arraigned this morning before
United States Commissioner Samuel NJ
Hitchcock.