The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-16
ANALYZES EXPLOSIVE
Asserts That so Pounds of
Blasting Gelatin Was Set
Off at MOrgan's Bank.
AIDS U. s. SECRET SERVICE
Chemist Was Once Known as
Master Mind of TeutOnic
Plotters on This Side.

DR.. Walter 7. Scheele, who was
hunted by the sleuths of England,
France and the United States for
nearly two years as the master mind"
of the plot by which ships of the
Allies were set afire on the high seas
by means of fire bombs. is now en-
gagged in aiding the Government to
clear up the mystery surrounding the
Wall street explosion. which occurred
one month ago to-day.
That remarkable situation was dis
closed yesterday when it was an
nounced that DR.. Scheele, after care
ful microscopic analysis Of pieces Of
iron and other materials found about
the scene of the Wall street horror,
had forwarded to Chief William j.
Flynn of the Department OF Justice
a seventy page typewriter report, in
which he expresses the opinion that
the havoc was wrought by an eX-
plosion of fifty pounds of blasting
gelatin.
Following this announcement some
heretofore unpublished chapters in DR..
Scheele's life were revealed, and Ii was
learned for the first time that following
his capture in Havana in the spring OF
1918 and his return TO this country as
prisoner DR.. Scheele had placed at the
disposal of the United States government
both his knowledge OF the German spy
system and his knowledge OF chemistry,
and by so doing had aided the govern
3nent agents materially. 1t also was
stated officially that he had turned over
to this government certain inventions.
one of which related to the loading OF
high explosive shells, and which proved
quite valuable In preparing for the de-
feat of the Teutonic empires which
Scheele had previously served.
DIR. Scheele, who has laboratory at
Hackensack. n. j.. first attracted pub
lie attention in 1916. when it was dis
covered that large shipments of chemi-
cal fertilizer which he was making to
Europe were a ruse to get certain oils
asd fats into the German Empire. Al
the same time secret operatives discov-
cred that Or. Scheele's fertilizer factory
IN Hoboken was the source OF numerous
Iire-bombs which had been discovered
slowed away I'm inhammable ships car
goes
Scheeles partner. Charles Won Kleist.
former sea captain, was arrested by
members OF The police bomb squad, and
the arrests of Karl Schmidt. chief en-
eincer of the North German Lloyd liner
Friedrich des Crosse, and four of his
assistants for completely quickly followed,
but DIR. Scheele slipped through the po-
lice nets.
These men were all placed on trial the
month before this country entered the
war, and they We're all coivicted and SEN
fenced to terms in Atlanta Federal Peni-
tentiary.
The following winter they were all
placed on trial again on additional
charges, together with Franz Won Rinte-
lon, blood relative OF the Kaiser, who was
alleged TO have financed Scheeles enter
prise, and with some former employees of
the Hamburg American Line and other
Germans. aDG again the defendants were
convicted and sentenced to the Federal
prison.
Still there was no trace of Or. Scheele,
although his name figured conspiouously
IN the testimony. He was alleged TO
have leon the brains OF the whole scheme
for manufacturing bombs. while Capt.
Otto wolpert of the Hamburg American
Line and n German lawyer with offices
in Chambers street laid the plans and
bred the men to put the Internal ma
chimes aboard ships In this port.
How the Bombs Worked.
Each bomb consisted Of n piece OF lead
pipe with a zinc partition in the centre
and with certain chemicals in each end.
The chemical action upon the zinc would
ordinarily eat through IL in five or sis
days. when the ingredients would come
into contact and cause n connagration.
Most of the bombs contained perman-
Eanate OF potash and sulphuric acid.
The object in slowing the boinbs aboard
ships was TO cause them TO catch fire
and be destroyed upon the high seas, and
approximately 100000 worth OF ship
ping was lost through this scheme.
After Scheele had been captured in
Havana early in 1918 he gave the Cow
eminent officials n very long statement,
covering, Il Is said, every phase of his
career He disappeared from the pub
lie notice shortly after his return to this
country, and no information was given
out concerning his fate. Following his
IDEAL" with the Government the plans
for bringing him 90 trial on the indict-
fnents which charge him with connec-
zion with the ship bomb plots we're APP
parently shelved.
Although month has passed without
noticeable results from tho hunt for the
persons responsible for the Wall street
disaster Il was stated yesterday that tho
agents OF the Department OF Justice and
the police have obtained certain evidence
that cannot be made public az the pres
ent tune but which has tended 60 focus
their attention upon n clue mentioned
80 81.