El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-11-26
Kabibble Kabaret

the arrest, I felt as If a great weight
had been lifted from my heart when
1 saw the handouts snapped on Wa
birsli's wrists Butcher came In after
his prisoner had been disposed Of and
y congratulated me on my handling Of
the case. Then he said I must be tired
out and should have a rest
Tt transpired that Butchers idea Of
a rest" was 70 have me make out
full report on my operations IN Mex
ice to date. I rested" Is days; for
my report filled 100 typewritten pages
and was IN English, a language with
[ which up to that time I had little
more than bowling acquaintance. To
be- honest the English language
DOnded me all around the ring. and on
more than one occasion 7 nearly tex
the count. but with the kind assist
ance OF the dictionary I won in the
end Now the English language and
2 7 are on very good terms. outwardlys
/ but / would not trust IL farther than
could see it.
! Constant Stream Across Border.
| When that Internal report was fin
I ished I was stiu required 20 stick
( around IN order 20 be handy when the
military authorities got ready TO try
! WabirskL The long delay was TO en-
able the experts 20 decode the circu-
/ la message TO consuls in the German
/ imperial code, already referred 10, al
Z though I did not know IL at the time.
Z Just to kill time I helped the military
! Intelligence department out IN its Ia
[ borious task OF dealing with the con-
slant stream Of deserters. slackers,
I German agents, smugglers, / W W
Q agitators ana anarchists under other
. designations, flowing across the hor-
der in both directions, or perhaps It
would be more accurate TO say at
" ~ nH MaaHH ~
many did get across but the tireless
Z watchers caught lot.
Speaks Eight Languages.
Being able TO speak eight Ian
I guages, I was in constant demand as
I an interpreter and at times as an
/ examiner. When not needed in these
I capacities ] was out as an investi-
gator ferreted out two Z ". ".
agitators- and no fewer than Il Ger
man agents and had them locked up,
though I made no arrests myself
did not want 20 be so publicly iden-
titled as an agent OF the intelligence
department
A great many Germans were
trying 10 get TO the training
camp at Fl Cluro to prepare for
the prospective drive against
their adopted country; for lnfor-
nation about Il seems TO have
been pretty thoroughly eircu-
lated among former subjects Of
the kaiser on this side Of the Dor
der. Others were travelling upon
more sinister errlmdas few II
any had any honest business.
Queer things developed in exam
ing these disciples OF kultur-
For instance eTerEl German caught /
trying 10 get across the border car /
ried a bible and maps OF the United I
States. II transpired that the bible 4
q - g 70 In inc
code messages. Words or verses in /
conspicuOusly marked could be quick /
~ worked out by any one IN posses
sion Of the key into messages Of any ]
length on any subject
Typical Bible Use Case
One typical case was a German I
mschinist who gave the name OF Hu- I
belek, who said he had been working /
in the railroad shops at Sacramento, !
Calf, earning seven dollars a day, \
who was caught trying 70 sneak /
across the line after dark He had I
the usual bible and map. His outfit /
consisted Of Is days provisions. a I
wig. a quantity Of chemicals, ma
chinistE' tools and two revolrers. He /
said he was going to Sonora 20 buy /
mine, although his capital consist
ed Of $50. He was carrying a stolen /
passport which had been issued to a I
Bohemian. tried at intervals 70 get I
him TO tell the truth: but he was I
such a persistent though clumsy liar
that gave il up and he was interned /
for the duration Of the war.
Ordered TO Return to Mexico.
Francisco Duran, already described /
as one OF Jahnke's agents. who came .
up from the south on March 10. 1919, /
TO try to find out what had become !
Of WabirslzL He went 70 the Amer
lean consul at Nogalsss Son. and be-
gan asking questions He was i'm
mediately recognized and every IA
cility was placed at his disposal 10 1
cross into American territory where
he could be arrested, but he became 1
panic stricken and He'd without find
ing out what he came 20 learn
Two days later an order came from
headquarters in Washington 10 send j
agent al" into Mexico again. as
message had been received from Mex
leo City saying that an unusual
number Of German spies we're going
from thence into the United States
Copyright, 1919. Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.
Tomorrow Dr. Altendorf viii tell
Of beginning another expedition into
Mexico 10 ascertain the extent Of
German SOY activities and of how
he. BY a ruse, checked German deals
to sell dyewoods 10 the Berlin gov