The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-08
TELLS POLICE HE
WAS GERMAN SPY
x-Captain of U. s. Army, Held
for Desertion, Confesses,
They Say.
TRAINED IN GERMANY
Sent Here Long Before War,
He Says; Was to Lead His
Men to Slaughter.
TRAINED IN GERMANY

In the arrest of man who was
taken from the East F'ifty-first street
station last night and hurried TO cell
at Fort Jay. Governors Island. there
was revealed a mystery about which
detectives wove a story of German
espionage during the war. Detective
OLeary, one of those who questioned
the man after he had been arrested
on charges OF larceny and desertion
from the United States Army, said the
prisoner declared himself German
intelligence agent and told how he
cloalSed his activities as spy under
the identity of Captain in Company
X of the Forty eighth Infantry. u. s.
Army.
On the blotter at the police station
the man O'Leary asserted was spy
was listed as John Willet. 80 years
old of ss4 Riverside Drive. No charges
connected with the spy story were set
against him. but he was charged with
absconding with $4,000 belonging to
Company X OF the Forty-eighth and
desertion from the army.
Denied He Was Captain.
At Fort Jay it was said the prisoners
name was John Willers. He was being
held. 1t was explained. until certain
charges" against him are investigated.
Nothing OF the spy tale was known
there so far as could he learned.
Willers's arrest came In a most dra-
matte fashion late yesterday afternoon.
He was walking In Fifth avenue. near
Forty second street, and had reached
the Library when a man stopped him.
The few passersby who gave the Incl
dent any attention at all heard the sec
ond man say: Weren't you captain
of Company X of the Forty-eighth in
fartry?"
The man shook his head and then his
questioner beckoned to a traffic police
man who stood n few PAGES off
Arrest this man." he said pointing
TO willers. ''Tll make the charge at the
station"
At the East Fifty-first street station
the mems arc,iscr identified himself az
Hugh j. Hannigan, q salesman employed
by the. Interstate Pulp and Paper COM
pany hnd said he was during the war
a lieutenant In Company X. Forty
eighth Infantry. He said. according to
the police. that willers was captain of
that outfit and that soon after the
armistice he disappeared, taking with
him 5000 of the company funds.
The prisoner quickly denied he ever
was captain in the army. and Hann-
gan, remembering that two other officers
of the company. Sidney p. Howell. a
lawyer OF 81 Nassau street, and Francis
Hatch Of 100 Broadway. were familiar
with the case. had them called by tele-
phone. 1t was stated by the detectives
who had been assigned to investigate
the case that willers broke down at
sight OF the other two men and admitted
Hannigan's charges. Then the blottcr
entries were made. but the spy charge
was not referred to.
Trained In Germany.
willers, the police said, broke down
again and said ne was an enemy agen.
In 1917 and 1918. They said he told
them how he received his education as
a military spy and came to the United
states with 900 similarly trained men
long before the war. He had lnstruc-
tions. they quoted him as saying. 20
enter the American army. act like a
patriotic American and sit tight until
his regiment reached France Then he
was to go 10 work on his real job. that
Of reporting military Information to the
German army intelligence service. The
police said the Forty eighth Infantry
never went overseas and that wlllers
told them his success In reaching the
rank Of Captain had gone for no pur-
pose.
Tho signing OF the armiBtice was the
signal for Willers TO quit the American
Army, Il was alleged he told the police.
SO. while the regiment was at Camp
SEWER, Grecnville. s. C.. he packed up
and got out That is when the larceny
Of the company funds is alleged 10 have
been committed
Last night Wlllers was taken over on
the Govern mont f"try'to Governors ISL
and and booked al Fort Jay. The ietec-
tIves who wsTc In the escort relot lattr
that he told them Jf the activities Of
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