Evening star., 1938-10-02
War days, Or even Anne Marie Lesser.

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Matt Hari, the "red dancer" Of World
War days, or even Annie Marie Lesser.
the famous "Mademoiselle Docteur"
who plagued French secret service
agents, Fraulein Hofmann, 1t is
charged, nevertheless played an impor-
tant role In the international network
-allegedly spiriting coded instructions
to operatives IN this country and pay
ing them cash for purloined American
defense secrets.
The underground scheme, brrowing
through maze Of kidnap plots,
strange representations and treason,
came to light In typical spy fiction
thriller style.
On lazy spring day seven months
ago, q clerk in the New York passport
ONCE picked up the telephone and
heard q voice say crisply:
This is Mr.. Weston, Undersecre-
tary Of State. Please bring SO pass
port blanks to my room at the Taft
Hotel Immediately"
The order was carried out with
little delay-just time enough for q
Oman to disguise himself as a uni
formed messenger and deliver a dummy
package.
Mr.. Weston" turned out to be a
tall, sharp-eyed individual, with q
stiff military bearing and a bristly
teutonic haircut.
'Handcuffed and whisked down to
the local F. B. 1. headquarters, he was
quickly identified as a former United
States Army deserter named Guenther
Gustav Rumrich.
Full Confession Claimed.
Reed Vetterli, New York F. B. I.
chief who has since resigned, said
Rumrich, although he has pleaded
innocent, made full confession"
and admitted that he was in the
process" Of trying to steal secret de-
signs Of two super modern United
States aircraft carriers.
From there, the trial led to a North
River pier shed where Federal agents
sharply scrutinized crew members dis
embarking from the trans Atlantic
luxury liner, S. s. Bremen.
In the traditional "Cherchez la
Femme" method, they were looking
for a woman. A young woman with
red hair.
mo English" the woman said coldly,
when the two G-men stepped quietly
along beside her.
Don't worry. sister. Just come
along quietly"
Mr.. Vetterli said the red-haired
Fraulein, Johanna Hofmann, had in
her possession coded message offer
ing $1,000 for secret information on
the United States aircraft carriers
Enterprise and Yorktown-and a tell
tale coded list betraying the identity OF
other espionage agents in this country.
Then, slowly, the case developed
Its more fantastic aspect. -.
Headlines fared the story OF a melo-
dramatic cold -blooded plot to lure Col.
Henry w. T. Eglin. commanding ofIicer
OF Fort Totten and the 62d Coast
Artillery, to a New York hotel to gain
possession of certain secret documents
and then kill him.
Mr.. Vetterli said Rumrich told
him the plot was timed for last Febru-
ary /, but that higher ups" in Ger
many" countermanded the order at
the last minute.
Women Witnesses in Terror.
Before the trial even starts, there
Is the spectacle. too. of women wit
nesses in terror of their lives.
Mrs. Kate Moog Busch, an ex-nurse,
pretty blond friend of the fugitive
DR.. Griebl has hidden for months
In a midtown hotel, constantly pro-
tected by Federal detectives.
I'm afraid to go out for fear OF
being murdered or kidnapped" she
said. I'm afraid to see any one"
There was the nervous anxiety Of
Mrs. Maria Griebl. wife of the missing
physician who dropped from sight
in Germany. shortly after he fed
abroad.
Maybe he's not allowed to come
back" she said. Maybe he can't
come back"
Mrs. Griebls fears were partly
allayed when a commission of three
Federal aides from the United States
attorneys office went abroad and
questioned DR.. Griebl in Berlin last
week.
Although beyond the power of ex-
tradition, the fugitive physician was
reported deeply anxious to help the
Federal Government in order to
obtain the release of his wife.
After his aides had taken a statement
from Mr.. Griebl, Hardy consented
to Mrs. Griebl's release from $4,000
bail as a material witness placing
her at liberty to rejoin her husband
in Germany.
Another material witness in the
forthcoming trial is dark-haired
Santa De Wanger. who ran q liquor
store at Hampstead. Long Island, and
became friendly with American Army
flyers at Mitchell Field and Roosevelt