The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-24


Rubano. acting chief Of the secret SER
vice Of the United. States. with him
were ton secret service operatives
Police Sergeant James J. Gegan and
eight detectives from his bomb squad
assisted the secret service men. The
others taking part in the arrests were
agents of the Department Of Justice.
On the complaint OF Capt. Rubano Of
the secret service the fourteen prison.
ers were technically held on a charge
of violating that part OF President Will
cons proclamation. made when we en-
tered the war in 1917 forbidding the
distribution of seditious literature. The
prisoners will be arraigned this morning
before Federal Commissioner Hitchcock
Although no direct charge, at Least not
for publication. was made by the efficers
that bombs had been found in the pos
session of any OF the prisoners the jani-
tress OF the Fifty-third street house In
which four of the prisoners were ar
rested, Mrs. Mary Lentz, said last night
she feared to go into their rooms because
every time she did so she saw a collec-
tion Of round iron things, about big
enough to fit your hand, like pictures of
hand grenades printed in the papers
during the war" b..
Bethereu ny Hounu Ihthkb'
81 used to have to go into the roomD
20 clean up" Mrs Lentz said last night.
after expressing her relief over the fact
that the Spaniards had been removed
from her house, but I never did any
cleaning In the corners where the round
, iron things they always had there we're
yiled. And when they were home they
used to bother me a lot by hammering
on something or other as II they were
making things of metal there"
One Of the four arrested yesterday In
the West Fifty-third street house lugged
two large black bags down to Mrs.
Lentz's quarters week ago and asked
her to keep the bags for MIN as he was
going 20 Philadelphia for a while. A
man called for the bags and took them
away last Monday. Another OF her
dodgers n brother OF the man who had
left tho bags with her. told Mrs. Lentz
on Saturday that he was going to give
up his fiat on the top floor OF the
house yesterday.
The first Of the fourteen arrests were
made a few minutes after O'Clock yes
terday morning. when Acting Chief Ru-
bano, Police Sergeant Gegan and the
rest of the secret service and bomb
squad men swooped down upon the club
and rooming house at 17g2 Lexington
avenue. In the clubroms on the ground
floor were three sleeping cots Three of
Che ten men gathered in there were come
upon Immediately, the three at the time
taking their ease in various states of
undress and reading and smoking.
Three Men Especially Sought.
There were three other members Of
The crowd. however. that the secret SER
vice men, who had been working on the
case for several days. were especially
anxious to arrest. These were not in the
bailding at the time. but by waiting In
doors throughout the forenoon almost all
the men wanted entered and immedi-
ately were arrested.
Then as the influx OF much desired
Spaniards began to fall off bit some
Of the operatives headed for the West
Fffty-third street house and gathered In
four more prisoners.
The men arrested In the Lexington
avenue house described themselves as
follows, their names being listed here
in the order IN which they we're ar
rested: 80
Joseph Roman Fernandez. 81 years
Of 81 Broadway. Elizabethport, y. j.. a
laborer. Born. as were all the prison
ers, in Spain. A resident of the United
States for eighteen months.
Jose NJ. Alicer. 20 years. OF 1870 Lex
ington avenue. In the United States one
year.
Joseph Micezer. 20 years. 1922 Lexing-
ton avenue. A clerk. In America -four
and one-half years.
Raphael Acosta. "a years, of 6s Eas,
1921 street, a cigarmaker. living in the
United States fourteen months
Alemanero Malcono, 20 years. OF 341
East Seventy-siXth street, pantryman
fourteen years in America.
Celestino Grenade, % years, 172:
Lexington avenue, ctgarmaker, lived
here three years
Rogello' Garcia, rs years. of 1874 PARK
avenue, cigarmaker. in America eight
cen months.
Ramon Sanchez, 20 years, OF 1906
Lexington avenue. clgarmaker. two
years in United States.
Once Arrested in Spain.
Pedro Martin, 20 years. journalist, as
ISOLATE editor of radical local weekly
tprinted In Spanish), called Ell Corsurio
said he lived at 1922 Lexington avenue
the radical club where the arrests were
made; resident of America thirteen
months; quoted ny the police as saying
that he had been arrested but not con.
victed" in Spain for anarchistic activi.
ties.
Jose Grau. SO years. editor in chief OF
Ell Corsdrio; used pen name. he said OF
"Arnaldo Sapilana"; also lived at 1872:
Lexington avenue in the United States
eighteen months.
Prominent among the decorations II
the Club was large picture OF kar
Liebknecht, the German radical who
was killed recently in Berlin. The rooms
OF the club and the bedrooms above con
tained many copies Of the paper edited
by Grau and Martin and quantities o
other Iliterature" which officers sale
later Was of seditious character
Also a number OF letters, written II
Spanish, which were seized showed tina
the radicals living in the club or in tn,
rooms above were carrying on an ex
tensive correspondence with radicals II
Boston. There were also number G.
letters from comrades living in Buffalo
Philadelphia and other large cities.
Ramihcations of Group.
The addresses OF several men living II
Boston who evidently were In politica
sympathy with the local radicals were
noted by the officers Operatives II
Philadelphia and particularly in Boston
were communicated with. these opera
tives already being extremely busy a
Boston and the other cities where there
seemed to be qualifications of the activ
tiles of the local group.
The rooming part of the Lexington
avenue house was run by a woman who
GaEaasS- name as-AEf Title Herman
Whatever Information the secret servic,
men and police obtained during theii
talks with Mrs. Herman they kept L
themselves last night.
When all of the prisoners and Yariou!