The sun., 1918-03-05
SECRET RADIO
IN SKYSCRAPER
Powerful Wireless Found I'm
sealed in Tower of Trinity
Building. Broadway.
ARMY MEN INVESTIGATE
Owned by Former Telefunken
Manager Now Doing
Work for L. s.

Federal officers searching for secre.
wireless devices invaded the ofhces Of
Richard Pfund. former manager Of the
Telefunken Wireless Telegraph Com
pany. in the tower of the Trinity Build
ing. Ill Broadway. and there discovered
a powerfui outfit
Although disconnected. the apparatus.
according 70 the authorities, could he
assembled within a half hour and would
many Thousands OF miles No aerials
were found connected With II. but II 10
said that there are two pieces Of Iron
scrollwork on the roof of the tower
which would serve the purpose II con-
nsctsd With the device. -itt.
For several weeks wireless, opArators
At. Fort Totteu had been intsteepting
messages. apparently in code. which led
army authorities to suspect that a pow
erful wireless station somewhere along
the Alta ntic coast was in operation. So
powerful was the sending apparatus. the
Fort Totten operators reported. that
they were certain 1t was similar in con-
.truction to those of the Telefunken
Company. which were seized by the
! Government after the start Of the Euro
pean war.
In the belief that such a wireless ap-
paratus might easil! be communicating
information regarding the movements Of
ships out of Atlantic ports. and espe-
cialiy SPY reports to Germany or Ger
man agents on che movement OF troop
transports, the Army Intelligence Bu-
reau assigned several radio experts to
locate II. They worked necessarily for
weeks at various places along the coast.
finally narrowing their operations with
| delicately attuned instruments to tn.
vicinity OF New York.
Traced to This CITY.
Last week the search moved directly
into this city, and the detecting appar-
stus was riGRed up atop the Majestic
Hotel at Central Park West and Sew
enty-second street. The Government
experts reported on Saturday they were
certain the mysterious station for which
they were looking was in this city.
In some manner the searchers learned
OF the station in the tower Of the Trinity
Building. They are by no means salts
fed. however that they have found the
, right apparatus. In fact they think
/ not and are looking further.
! The discovery was made on Sunday.
but was kept an official secret until yes
terday. when the news leaked out
through tenants Of the building. 1t was
then admitted that officers OF the Army
! Intelligence Corps under Capt. F. A.
| Houghton and deputies under United
States Marshal Thomas y. Mccarthy
: had visited the building upon mystic
rlous tip that a large Telefunken ap-
paratus was to be found there.
Pfund. 1t was learned, was defiant and
refused to open his door to the onicers.
He told them he had been doing special
work for the Government and that he
was acquainted with certain ofticers In
/ EI,,,,
ascertained. Is correct. as he has been
! experimenting on a wireless field outht
for the Marine Corps and the army.
Finally, however. when told that he
must open or have his door broken
down, Pfund permitted the officers ia
enter. They soon found the outfit. which
was not under seal. as such devices are
supposed to be. Pfund told them he
had not used It since our entrance into
the war.
! Allowed to Retain Apparatus.
The apparatus was not seized. but
its presence was reported yesterday 70
the army authorities. who have the case
I'm hand. Pfund is permitted to continue
In possession of his skyscraper labora-
tory while the case Is being investigated
At III Broadway 1t was said yester-
day that Pfund severed relations with
the Telefunken people in 1913. and that
he has since occupied four floors In the
tower for experimental purposes. He
formerly had aerlals strung on the roof
but these. It was said, were taken dowr
when the general order to dismantls
went out to the wireless operators. The
inosts TO which they we're attached and
The iron scroll work. however, still re-
main.
Among those who talked o. the cas'