The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-09
ARMY PROBES SPY
TALE OF EX-OFFICER
John Willers. Former Captain,
Now in Cell at Fort Jay,
Governors Island.
FACES CHARGE OF THEFT
Wife Refuses to Believe Al
legged Confessional. S.
Agents Search His Home.

Military intelligence officerS began
careful investigation yesterday TO de-
termine whether John Willers. formerly
captain OF Company X, Forty-eighth In
fantry, but now in a cell. In Fort Jay
Governors Island, is q spy or merely
8 liar
1t was frankly admitted yesterday that
/ the only evidence against Wiliers con-
! corning espionage is his own statement
that he was a spy, one OF three hundred
cadets of the Imperial German army
sent here several years before the United
States entered the war TO establish
themselves in the United States army.
There Is. however, a great deal of evil
dence concerning theft of $1,000 of
company funds, and his desertion from
his command at Camp Sewer, Greenville,
S. c., exactly two years ago. less than
q month after the signing of the armis-
tice. 4
Just why man should claim to be q
German spy when this country Is still
technically at war with Germany and
the possible penalty for espionage is
death engrossed the attention of army
officers everywhere. Francis Hatch,
former lieutenant and battalion intelIi-
gence officer of WIllers's old organiza-
ton. now employed by the American
International Corporation, one of the
three young reserve officers who identi-
fled Wlllers. furnished the most reason
able explanation.
II cannot say whether Wilers is n
spy. but l could see from his manner
when he talked to us that ne did not
want us to think him a common thief
He seemed proud of having been a spy.
I'm no ordinary thief he said when he
confessed. L was acting under instruc-
iAng frA Aff l,~ Co..
many and was only doing my duty
took tho money because l was desper-
ately In need of funds and had sud-
denly learned that the Federal authori-
ties had found some papers which might
incriminate me on a German liner at
Hoboken.'"
Mr.. Hatch pointed out that Willers's
consuming pride as a soldier might have
led him to announce himself spy as
matter OF bravado when as a matter OF
fact ne was not.
There are several things. however,
that back UP his story that he was a spy
sent here to enter the army" Mr.. Hatch
said why should a man of his intell-
gence and education enlist. as he did. in
the coast guard at Albany In 1914? Ac-
cording to Willers he did this under I'M
structions. He was stationed at Portland
Me- Later on being ordered to get into
the line that he might go overseas he
bought his way out OF the coast guard
and enlisted in the infantry. He was
sent to Bort Slocum. where he soon dis
tinguished himself because of his knowl-
edge of military affairs and his general
character. His officers succeeded in
having him sent to the second Plattsburg
camp. where he gained n commission as
captain
Another thing that is now significant
is the intense rage he displayed when
several officers received orders 10 go
abroad and he did not. He beat the
table with his fist and gave way to great
anger Willers was we'll liked at camp and
was a splendid officer He had one pecui-
arity we noticed. He never would have
his picture taken, and once, when caught
in a group picture, he gazed slSyward
persistently. so his face did not show in
the photograph"
At Governors Island yesterday
Lieut.-Col. John l.. Bond. who formerly
was stationed at Camp SEWER recog-
nized In the tall, slim blond prisoner the
crack commander of the demonstration
company OF the South Carolina camp.
This company drilled by signals, with
out oral commands. and its commander
was noted for his soldierly qualities.
The one visitor Willers received yes
terdsy was his wife. a pretty. dark
haired girl he married In Chicago.
II can't believe his story is true"
she said. IT met him eighteen months
ago in Chicago and four months later
we were married. He told me he had
been honorably discharged from the
army. He seemed depressed at times.
and when / asked him what was wrong
he said he was worried because he had
trained men TO fight against his -kins-
men. On another occasion he said he
was disturbed by falling out he had
with rela tievs In st. Louis. He was al
ways q good husband to me-"
Willers and his wife came here two
months ago and engaged a room in the
apartment of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Nevins at the Loyal. an apartment house
at S94 Riverside Drive. Willers gave
his name as Weinert and established a
printing business at 542 West Fifty
third street. He also sold favoring ex-
tracts by mail order.
In the course of their Investigation
Federal agents visited willers's room
yesterday and ransacked his papers The
intelligence headquarters at Washington
was also busy looking up his previous
record. 1t will take some time to com
plete the scrutiny of the prisoners past.
and meantime he VIII be held at Fort
Jay. Lieut. Cohn of the Judge Advo-
Gates ofilceon Governors Island was APP
pointed counsel for the alleged en-
bezzler. He has been silent since his
burst of Information In the back room
of the East Fifty-first street station
house.