Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-27
WILSON COMMUTES
SENTENCE Of HUN
III ATLANTA PRISON

Franz Won Rintelen, the German
agent convicted during the war of
conspiracy to blow up American and
allied vessels on the high seas by
planting time bombs in their holds,
was released, from the Atlanta fed
eral penitentiary on Wednesday aft
ernoon under a communication OF sen
tence granted by President Wilson,
The communication of sentence was
granted on condition that Won Rim
telen agree to leave the United
States before January 1, 1921, and
that he give a $4,000 bond as
Guarantee that he would do so. BY
leaving before January 1 he avoids
arrest under deportation proceed
ings, The $4,000 bond was furnish
pany, through it's Atlanta agent
Frank H. Reynolds.
Won Rintelen plans to leave At
lanta on Wednesday night for New
York city, where he will secure res
ervations on a vessel sailing at
torney Chambers. The former Ger
man captain is understood to be
deeply interested in reconstruction
work in his native land and will be
connected with a big banking con-
Germ there.
Won Rinte1en has served about
two years in the federal prison, this
term constituting something more
than one-half the total sentence i'm
posed on him after conviction on
three separate charges, sabotage,
conspiracy to destroy vessels and
violation Of the international passport
acts. 1t was testified at the trial of
the case in New York City that Won
Rintelen was connected with Cap
tain Won Papen. the German naval
attache, and Captain Boy-Ed, the
German military attache, who were
deported after sensational develop
ments.
Tried to Blow Up Canal
The attempt to blow up the Wei
land canal and the attempted de-
struction of several of the largest
passenger and merchant vessels in
the American and allied navies, were
laid at Won Rintelen's door. He
was held a prisoner in the Toombs
for some time before his trial and
again until sentence was finally pass
ed upon him. In his effort to obtain
Communication of sentence to present
service, Won Rintelen contended that
the time he spent in the Toombs
should be computed as part Of his
sentence. This was finally allowed
by President wilson.
Attorney Aldine Chambers, repre-
senting Won Rintelen, was largely
responsible for the communication OF
his sentence, working necessarily for
many months and making frequent
trips to Washington, D. c. He re-
turned Tuesday night from the ma
tiona1 capital, bringing with him the
bond required by law to be filed in
all cases Of Communication of sentence
vi n,
tain in the German navy and 1T was
claimed that he acted as one OF the
chief cogs in the machine of in
trigue set up by Germany in the
United States after the outbreak OF
the world war and before the en-.
trance of the United States. Several
cases of sabotage involving the de-
struction of war materials and sup
plies, were traced to him, according
to testimony given at his trial and
| secret service agents were kept busy
ferreting out the devious ways by
which he is said to have accomplish
ed many sensational deeds.
The arrest and conviction Of Vor
Rintelen, the deportation of Vor
Papen and Boy-Ed, together with the
conviction of two German agents ir
San Francisco, tended to break ur
the activities of the intriguers
against the allies in this country.
=
According to Warden Fred G
Zerbst, Won Rintelen has made {
model prisoner since his arrival al
the federal penitentiary on Octo-
Der 3, 1918. He has kept in close
touch with the efforts made To Sc
cure a Communication of his sentence
and has expressed confidence that he
would be released before the expira'
ton of his sentence.
The records in his case show thai
he was sentenced to serve a tota
of fifty months on the three convic
tions secured in the district court Of
New York. Twelve months on the
charge of restraining oceanic com
merce; eighteen months on the charge
of manufacturing bombs and engag
ing in sabotage; twenty months or
eminent by obtaining false pass
| ports He was also fined $4,000.