Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-18
Love for Pretty Woman
Led to Spoermann'S Arrest


Walter Spoermann. alleged German
agent. for a pretty, talented girl must
clan in a local hotel led to his arrest
in the Hampton Roads naval district.
That girl-May Stops, who says
she is American through and through
said today she had warned Spoermann
against working around army camps,
because, as he was a German, it might
be dangerous for him.
Letters which Spoermann sent the
girl were stopped in transit and in
spected by government officials. In this
way they kept trace of him, arrested
him near Newport News. Va, and now
have him safely in custody at Balti-
more.
The girl musician is not regarded as
in any way connected with Spoermann's
alleged spy work In so far as depart
ment of justice agents and newspaper
men have been able to ascertain she
had known Spoermann several years anC
had warned him to give up employ
ment which might get him into trou-
BILE.
Incidentally, government evidence in
dicates Spoermann was probably adj
dicted to drugs. The search of his eff
fects, it is said. showed several drugs
and a hypodermic in his trunks, along
with damaging documents indicating
an alliance with his fatherland.
Believed Mere Tool
That Spoermann may have been
| tool for bigger men is the belief of
authorities here. They think he col
was amateurish He left trail of ct
tiers in his room and a German army
uniform, to say nothing of a $40 BOARD
| bill in Baltimore, il is said. And, what
was even more important, he sent let
ters to the Stops girl which made him
easily eabie.t -s'f ~ ie-s ~.t-
The girl musician, seen late yester
day at the hotel where she worked, pro-
fessed to be dumbfounded at the reVe-
Iations of SpoermannS work.
"Oh, do you think it can be true?"
she gasped. Don't you think it might
De exaggerated? / can't believe; L don't
know what to think"
Didn't you know that he was Ger
MANI" she was asked.
"Oh, yes, L knew that. And / al
ways told him that he ought not to
work around army camps because ne
is a German. L begged and begged
him to get something else to do where
he wouldn't be in so much danger. But,
of course, 1 didn't think he would do
any thing like this.
I'm America through and through,
and wouldn't do anything against my
country. Why, I'D die first"
Spoermann, she said, had expressed re-
greet at the entry of the United States
into the world war, but they had not
frequently discussed the topic.
Net Him at Hotel
The girl claimed to have met Spoer-
mann at a German hotel in Baltimore
where she was working, about four
years ago. She said he had been en-
ployed at clerical work for a plumber
Government agents say before the war
he had work which paid him s12 to SIS
week.
HE was unable to get a job in Wash
ington after the war was declared"
Miss Stops continued, and he went to
work in the army camp. 1 told him he
would get into trouble"
She paused to pull out a package con-
tanning a handkerchief with an AmerI-
can flag on it,
Look here; let me show you some
thing" she interrupted.
1T was only yesterday that he sent
me an American flag that he thought
| would like"
The girl didn't know whether she
would attempt to see Spoermann in Jail
II don't know what to do" she said
ct don't know. 1t will all have to be
decided later-not now, I'm so worried
can hardly think"
What is your nationality" she was
asked IN CLOSING.
Girl Is American
IT am an American--pure American.
have English blood in me, but my
people landed in this country from Hol-
land generations ago"
What will happen to Spoermann. II
convicted. is still in doubt. But it ap-
peared likely today that the department
of justice would handle the case, and
that the case would be considered civil
with a maximum penalty of $4,000 fine
and thirty years Imprisonment
If he were retained by military au-
thorities he might be tried by court
martial and shot, and while the new
espionage law apparently does not pre-
vent the death penalty it does not APP
pear that there is a disposition to give
him the limit.
Government authorities revealed to-
day that their original tip on Spoermann
came from a conversation overheard on
street car. Whether Spoermann him
self was talking was not revealed, but
IL is believed that this was the case in