Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-08
Luke Lea Fixed Up Sensational En-
tefprlse
PLANNED GIFT TO PRESIDENT WILSON
With Gang Of Fearless Americans Ten.
nessee Colonel Had Arranged .
Scheme, Which If il Had Been Sue.
eessfuI Would Have Set Millions Of
Tongues to Waauino.

| Sio rliSSoTy Wsns
Colonel Luke Lea, former United
States senator from Tennessee, COM
mander Of the 114th Field artillery Of
.ne S0th division-the "Old Hickory"
division Of Carolinas and Tennesseans
who returned from France, only q
week ago in command Of his men, In
the American colonel who led the
party Of American army officers who
tried to kidnap the former German
Kaiser last winter.
The fact that Colonel Lea headed
the kidnapping party was fully con-
trmed by the correspondent of The
New York Times from. the lips Of q
tennessee man who talked with Col
onel Lea upon his arrival at Newport
News, Va, in command Of the 114th
Field artillery last Sunday after that
unit had arrived from st. Nazaire,
france, on the transport Finland.
While current versions Of the story
printed last January In French. Brit
ish, and American newspapers assert
ed that the attempt to kidnap the Kat
ser was made on January 8. Colonel
Lea indicated to those to whom he
spoke last Sunday that 1t really took
place just before Christmas.
What were you going to do with
the Kaiser If your kidnapping project
had succeeded?" Colonel Lea was ask.
ed by those to whom he admitted that
he headed the party that went to tho
castle Of Count Won Bentnick, near
Ammerogen.
Gift for President.
I'VE were going to give him q free
present him to President Wilson as q
Christmas gift" "
This statement by Colonel Lea
would indicate that the attempt was
made just before Christmas, and It was
intimated tonight that 1t took place
about December 81. From what was
learned from the gentlemen who talked
with Colonel Lea at Newport News
there were fully dozen oficers and
men of the American army in the au-
tomobile party commanded by Colonel
Lea that tried to obtain possession Of
the Kaiser.
They were armed with passports.
which they had managed in some way
to obtain and which enabled them to
go through Holland to the castle where
the Kaiser was stopping. They got close
enough to the presence Of the Kaiser.
Colonel Lea told close friends since his
arrival In this country. to hear his
voice, but were foiled through the sud
den dispatch Of Dutch guards from
Ammerongen to the castle, Q con.
tingency wholly unexpected and which
forced the American officers to make
a quick retirement in their military
automobile to avoid arrest and possible
internment by the Holland authorities,
If not court-martial proceedings in the
American army, provided their identi-
ty should become known.
Fear Of Court Martial.
Colonel Lea did not desire to have
the story Of his escape become known
at the time. It is his intention to
make full public statement regarding
all the details Of the kidnapping at
tempt as soon as he is discharged from
the army.
The possibility that he might even
L ~ ov-fS SoI
having crossed into Holland on such
an expedition and that those who were
with him might be similarly dealt with,
has been one Of Colonel Lea's motives
While in France he and those who were
with him remained exceedingly quiet
about the matter because they were In
constant fear that they would be court
martialed.
Colonel Lea has expected that he
would be discharged from the military
service Of the United States some time
during the coming week along with the
other members of the 114th Field Ar
tillery regiment which he led back
from France for demobilization. This
regiment paraded today at Nashville,
Tenn, and goes from there at oncs
to Fort Oglethorpe, where it Is sched-
uled to be demobilized during the next
four or five days.
Immediately after his arrival at
Newport News last Sunday Colonel
Lea slipped up to Washington to visit
his mother and sister who live here,
and whom he wanted to see in con-
nection with the recent death Of his
wife. It was not until the transport
Finland was within three days Of New
port News that Colonel Lea learned
Of his wife's death.
When the 114th Field artillery arriv-
ed at Newport News there were
number Of Tennessee newspaper men
there to greet the regiment. In some
manner word had reached Tennessee
that Colonel Lea commanded the Kali
ser kidnapping party, and those Of the
Tennessee newspaper men who were
sent to Newport News who had Tip"
on the story were very anxious to OBJ
tain full details from Colonel Lea He
told them the story was true. and that,
while he intended to tell the whole
story later he did not care to confirm
the facts so long as he was an officer
in the uniform Of the American army.
He related some Of the details to
several with whom he talked and told
them that the party Of more than q
dozen American officers and soldiers
was made up Of men from all parts
Of the United States.
There were four commissioned and
three commissioned Officers In the
party besides some others. Three Of
them were from the south, among
them Captain. L. 8. NcPhail, Of Nash
vile, and Lieut.. Ellsworth Brown OF
Chattanooga.