Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-15
Walter Spoermann, Friend of
Boy-Ed and BernStorff Is.
Caught by Naval Men After
Long Shadowing,
PLOT AT WASHINGTON
REPORTED UNEARTHED
Documents Seized Indicate
That 100000 Had Been
Received to Promote Inter-
eStS of Germany,

~ "'"' Ho 'Nt~rAL sPsc'aL Lr.-sn ~r~-,
Norfolk, Va, Jan. t4.--Navy intel
ligence officers left here tonight for
Baltimore with Walter Spoermann.
suspected of being an altive figure in
plots launched by Captain Boy Ed.
the former German military attache.
Iand believed to have been captain
IN the German army. According to
the story unofficialIy told here the
man was arrested Saturday while in
the act of attempting to blow up
magazine at the unfinished army avi-
ation 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 tbs only charge formally
lodged against him is understood to
be that he is a dangerous enemy alien.
Friend of Boy-Ed.
Documents found in his possession.
however, are declared to reveal his
connection with Boy-Ed and former
German Ambassador Bernstorff, and
to incriminate in a spy plot persons
in Washington, Baltimore and other
cities, Details of the contents of the
documents are withheld. but it Is un-
derstood that they will lead to num-
ber of arrests within few days
SNNcfmanns acti1i.. - Hre said TO
have attracted attention of naval in
telligenoe officers may weeks ago bur
l.,
uonal evidence could be gathered. Of
ficers followed him, night and day.
however, the quest leading through
several cities and even to at least two
army camps. Frequently, according
to the story, the pprisoner posed as an
officer of the United States army.
Finally he visited the great army and
navy base at Hampton Roads, but be-
fore that young naval agent, posing
as friend of Germany, had made
himself acquainted with Spoermann.t
The officer followed his man closely in
Newport News and finally TO the avia
tion field, four miles north of the city,
where the arrest was made.
$4,000 Advanced to Him.
Documents found on the prisoner
and in his rooms at Baltimore are al
legged to show that Spoermann began
MS Work III tnlS city sometime DeIOfe
the United States entered the war.
In one letter from Boy Ed there is said
to have been reference TO $40, 900 adj
vanced Spoermann by the chief of the
German spy system in the United
States.
There are reports that it has been
established that Spoermann came to
the United States on the German
submarine U-53 which visited New
port, X. L., more than a year ago and
later sank a number of merchant
ships off the coast.
Officials, however, would not CON
firm this. .. g.
Spoermann was closely questioned
by officers while confined in the jait
here, but II was said that little inforl
nation was gained An effort is said
to have been made to connect him
with the New Years day fire here
which laid waste nearly two city
blocks, but apparently without sue
cess. The fact that naval intelligence
officers were handling the case, led
to the belief here that first of Spoer-
mann's activities which came to the
attention of government agents wac
at naval base or station.