The sun., 1918-08-09
RINTBLEN TOO I'LL
TOLEAYE TOMBS
German Agent Is Said to Have
Tuberculosis in Advanced
Stage.
REMOVAL ORDER HELD UP
Attorney General Planned
Transfer Of "Mystery Man"
to Newark Jail.

Franz Rintelen, the man OF mystery
in whose welfare the Imperial German
Government had displayed a notable de-
gree Of interest in the three years In
which no has been in English and Amer
lean prisons. was SO III yesterday that
an order Of Attorney General Gregory
transferring him from the Tombs prison
10 the Essex county jail at Newark
could not be carried out. Rintelen Is
sid to have tuberculosis in an advanced
.tase and 10 be generally so weak that
lie cannot walk.
The German Government In May de-
snanded the exchange Of Rntelen Sor
one siesfried Paul London. a man held
in Germany as a spy. whose st,tus as
an American citizen was questioned by
Secretary Lansing In a defiant answer
30 the German threat OF reprisals upon
Americans In Germany II Rlntelen were
rot relea sed.
Germany's efforts in behalf of Rim
telen have been persistent since he
vas seized by Great Britain while try
ing to make his way back to Germany
under an assumed name with a false
,-ise him have been so numerous that
lie has taken on a Gar larger Importance
: the eyes OF the British and Amer!-
can authorities than he had as the GUS
iodian and payrr,ster Of vast fund
designed to embroil the United States
in internal and international difficulties.
British Reject Exchange.
Soon after his capture by Great Brit
am Germany offered to exchange DR..
Henri SEVERN Beland. ex-Postma ster-
General of Canada, for him. After this
offer was rejected Germany offered any
ten officers Great Britain might pick
from among captives in Germany. The
number was increased to twenty. then
10 twenty-three.
While these offers were being made
and rejected in series the United States
completed negotiations for the return OF
Rintelen to this country. He was tried
IN the Federal District Court here in the
summer Of 1917 for conspiring with
David Lamar and others to stop the ex-
porting Of war supplies to the Allies by
.ausing strikes in munitions factories
lie was sentenced to serve a year and a
day. This sentence he Is now serving.
Rintelen was later convicted on other
charges growing out of his activities as
German spy. propagandst and pay
master. and Re Is due to serve over three
years In the Atlanta penitentiary when
no completes his frst sentence in No
vember next.
Germany tried persistently to halt the
criminal prosecutions OF Rintelen here
and to ameliorate his condition as "a
prisoner before the supreme effort In the
form Of the ultimatum demanding his
exchange for London. The German
Government contended that Rintelen was
a military prisoner not liable to criminal
prosecution.
May BE KIN OF Kaiser.
Germany's interest in the prisoner has
been guessed at but never explained
ono report has him a blood relative Of
the Kaiser. another as a high official OF
the Deutsche Bank in Berlin and bust
ness and social intimate Of the Crown
Prince and Prince Henry of Prussia. A
third report was that the man was really
Duke Adolf OF Mecklenburg- Schwerin
Rintelen Is about 43 years old At the
time OF his trials here his manner had
the assurance of one used to positions Of
authority. As a prisoner he has caused
the Federal authorities a good deal of
trouble. In the Tombs prison he planned
an escape that was frustrated by Israel
karovsky. trusty He was sent to the
Westchester jail de luxe. at East View,
after his conviction. but after a few
months was transferred back to the
Tombs prison.
On two occasions since then Francis
q. Caffey. United States Attorney, has
sent aids In haste to the Tombs to in
restigate reports that RinteIen had tried
10 kill himself.
Rintelen's poor physical condition be-
came known at the time Germany de-
manded him IN exchange for London.
That Rintelen was critically III be-
came evident yesterday when Josenb
CF1aherty and John McQuade, two deputy
United States Marshals. appeared at the
rombs prison with the Attorney Gen
erals order transferring RinteIen to
Newark. Warden John Hanley told the
deputy marshals that RIntelen's condI-
ton was 30 bad that he could not be
moved.