New-York tribune., 1919-11-26
Police and U. S. Agents,
Discovering Hi d d e n
Door, Tear Down Wall,
Unearthing Chemicals
Ton of Radical
Literature Seized
Martens Admits Courier
From Lenine Reaches
A m rica Regularly

Tearing open a wall In the head
quarters of the Union of Russian
Workers, at 1873 East Fifteenth
Street, yesterday, detectives and
agents of the Department of Justice
discovered secret chamber in
which were concealed explosives,
chemicals and death-dealing devices.
The material seized included a ten
ounce bottle of INT and other ex-
plosives. said to be sufficient to de-
stroy several blocks of buildings.
The raid was conducted by Detec-
i've Sergeant James j. Gegan, who
had gone there with Federal war
rants to arrest several officials of
the organization. They were not
found in the building and no arrests
we're made.
When the raiders entered the place
they found about dozen men seated
around a table in q rear room of the
parlor floor, reading. Few of them. says
Gegani could reply in English to his
questions, and when it was learned the
men wanted were not there search Of
The premises was made.
Secret Door Discovered
In the course of sounding the wall
in the rear room with a blackjack De-
tective Cornelius Browne struck q spot
that sounded suspiciously hollow. Rip
ping away the wallpaper, he found q
door.
The door was battered down and dis
H. ~
table completely covered with about
sixty bottles and phials and delicate in
struments for testing and mixing their
contents. With the little group of rad
lcals looking on in amazement, the stuff
was removed and taken in patrol
wagon TO Police Headquarters. 1t will
be handed over to- the Department of
Justice for closer scrutiny.
In addition to the INT there were
bottles of glycerne sulphate, nitric
acid muriatic acid, ammonia hydrate,
calcined charcoal. denatured alcohol,
sodium hydrate solution, barium chlo-
ride solution, blue vitriol, alum and
zinc metal.
Radical Literature Seized
Experts say that if properly mixed
these elements would constitute some
of the most dangerous explosives
known. The police have telegraphed ed
to the Bureau of Mines of the Depart
ment of the Interior for chemist to
analyze the material
Almost a ton of radical literature
also was taken away from the build
ing. Some of this jared freshly
wrapped, as though it had just been
made ready for shipment throughout
the country. One of the pamphlets,
printed in English, bore the title
Bread and Freedom' This is consid-
cred the last word in radicalism, and
while the authorities have known of
its existence they never were able to
discover where it came from. Most of
the other sheets were printed in Rus
sian.
Long List of Names Discovered
Three large books of the ledger type
were found to contain thousands of
names and are thought to be the
membership roll of the organization
throughout the country. If this proves
true the authorities say it will prove
an excellent weapon in the fight being
waged against the "Reds" all over the
United States.
The workers. headquarters has beer
raided about six times within the last
wear. 1t is declared to be a hotbec
tor the "Red" movement. The police
say that clues Of many of the recent
bomb outrages have led to groups that
meet there.
$4,000 Comes Regularly
Couriers who elude the Allied block
AIDE against Russia reach New York
regularly with money and instructions
sent by Lenine and Trotzky to the
Soviet agents here. according to Lud-
wig A. X. Martens. head of the Russian
Soviet bureau, 40 West FortletF
Street, who testified yesterday before
the Lusk legislative committee.
Martens refused to identify the mes
sengers, to tell what route they take
from Russia or to say how they get
through the customs inspection here
but admitted that at stated intervals
Soviet courier arrives at his office
places an envelope containing $20,O0C
on his desk and then disappears. The
money, he said, is partly American
currency and partly currency of Nor
way. Sweden and Denmark and is used
to defray the expenses of the Soviet
propaganda in this country.
Martens appeared before the commit
tee in City Hall to continue the tes-
timony given by him eight days ago
His evidence was given under protest
He repeatedly stated to Attorney Gen
eral Newton, who questioned him, and
he would not revea: communications
between himself and his government
because he regarded such relations as
privileged"
Some Of the new assertions made by
Martens were:
1t takes two months because of the
blockade to send q messenger TO rus