New-York tribune., 1919-09-28
Horn C0nfesses
He Dynamited
Canada Brid &c
Seeks to Justify Act in
Hearing Here by Plea
That His Offence Was
Legitimate Act of War

Werner Horn. former officer in the
of the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge
over the St. Croix River, in McAdam
Parish, N B., February 2, 1915, is in
the Hudson County jail, Jersey City,
awaiting possible extradition to Can
ada and life imprisonment.
Horn, who has been prisoner in
this country as an enemy alien, came
up to Jersey City this week with the
shipped back to Germany on the trans
port Pocahontas, but he was held to
answer the charges by the Canadian
government He was arraigned yester-
day before United States Commissioner
James G. Carpenter, jr, in Jersey City.
Eyes, did it," he told the Commits
sionor. 81 did it in behalf of my
country, my fatherland, as an officer
of the German army, in war time. |
caused the explosion that blew up the
bridge"
Horn, who is tall and blonde with
smooth face, was taken from the jail
to the Commissioners Office. in the
Union Trust Building, Is Montgomery
Street. by United States Deputy Mars hal
Thomas Fenan. The Canadian authori-
ties we're represented by Charles Potts.
of New York, attorney for Frederick
Watson, acting British Consul.
To further questioning Horn replied
that he had used nitro gycerino in the
attempted destruction of the railroad
trestle and that he believed he had
been punished enough by the United
States. He insisted that his act was
a military act committed in hostile
country.
Every move the former German officer
made indicated he was confident that
after his hearing before Commissioner
Carpenter he would be permitted to
go back to GERMANY His sflile was
soon erased however, when a Canadian
statute was read showing that he might
be imprisoned for life as d penalty for
his act. The warrant for his arrest
was issued by Luke Watson, magis-
trate of McAdam Parish, New Bruins
wick
Several affiidavits from Canada were
read, among them one by Aubrey Tague,
a hotel owner in the village OF ST
Croix, who said he saw Horn on the
Saturday before the Tuesday on which
tho bridge was destroyed and again
Just after. the explos ion, when Horn
was warming his hands. Another by
Godfrey Fletcher said the witness had
seen Horn near the bridge and the
German had told him he, Horn, was q
watchman
Horn was without counsel. He said
he had applied for legal assistance
to the Swiss Legation, but had heard
nothing from that source Several
times he was cautioned by Commits
sioner Carpenter that he could ask an
adjournment until counsel was pro-
vldcd, but he refused the privilege,
saying he wished to have the hearing
finished.
The prisoner was remandcd without
bail because as an enemy alien he can
not be bailed. His papers viii be sent
to the Secretary Of State at Washing
ton, and it is believed the cxtradition
papers will be signed by that official.
Horn sand after the hearing that he
was anxious to get back to Germany to
see how much Of his fortune is left.
He had considerable money before the
war, he told qQcstioncrs. He declined
to say what branch OF the service be
was in in Germany, although he pre-
vlcus claimed q lieutonancy in the
Landwchr.
Immediately after Horn had at
tempted 10 destroy the bridge, he was
arrested at VAnccburg, Ne. from which
town the bridge lead across the border.
IN response 10 requests by the Cana
dian authorities that he be returned
20 lhat country me prisoner stead
fastly contonded that his was q mill
tary or po itical act and that h could
not be eXtradited under existing trea-
ties. He ca led upon the German Am
bassad9r at " ashlngton to protect his
interests.
The German was brought 10 trial in
June, 1913, before the Federal Court
IN Boston and received an eighteen
months sentence to the Atlanta Fed
eral prison. Upon his discharge from
that institution he was sent to an in
ternment camp.
Horn. who was known as Van Horn
before the war lived in the Arietta
Hotel Tompkinsvile, Staten Island,
just before his arrest on the border.
and his rooms there were searched
after the explosion Nothing Of i'm
portance was found
The British government contended at
the time the attempted dynamiting was
but one of series that had been
planned in Germany to cut off all com
munication be- wcen the United States
and Canada. Further it was said Of
dcially bv the British that when
Captain Fritz Won p;.pen, one of the
kaiser's secret agents, was searched
IN England, there was found among
ms papers memorandum Of $70O he
had given to Horn as his reward for
damaging the international bridge.
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