Evening star., 1938-12-19
Girl Spy Breaks Down;
Secret Code Is Uncovered

(This Is the SeUenth in series
OF articles by the former ace
Oman who broke the Nasi spy
ring in NetU York;
It is a far cry from the pretty,
red-headed hairdresser who sat de-
jectedly in my Office in F. B. I. head
quarters in New York that morning,
to the Hitler high command in the
secret offices of the Rationale &C.
heime AbWehr-the Nazi spy head
quarters in the German war minis
try at Berlin. Yet that is where the
trial that Jenni Hofmann opened
finally led me.
Jenni's value to the investigation
was mainly through the further
clues she could give, and, although
on this morning of February n, 1888,
she seemed to surrender when she
said: What do you want to knoW?"
it soon developed she had not yet
made up her mind to be frank ana
tell all.
"Whom?" I asked, besides Guen-
ther Gustav Rumrich, were you and
Schluter contracting in New York;"
That proved too sweeping q Ques-
ton for her mood, for she hesitated,
then said:
II don't remember"
"Now, fraulein," I pointed out,
"you yourself have just agreed that
the play is over. You can see we
know much already, and that you
are in serious trouble. Do not act
like a child. Now answer me: There
were others whom you were con-
tacting, yes?"
"Yes," she said.
'You must remember at least
some of the names. Who were they?'
Again she hesitated. Again she
insisted:
II don't remember
It was obvious there was no use
irving to drive her. A change OF
tatics was indicated. Every woman
likes to talk about herself, and an
opportunity to tell the story OF her
life is a rare treat. I gave her that
opportunity.
Soon Talking Steadily.
Tell me something about your
self, fraulein," I urged. What Is
your real name?"
johanna Hofmann," she replied
"And where were you born?'
I'm Dresden, Germany"
"When?"
ION May 10, 1911"
"Are you married?"
"No."
"Your parents names?"
MAX and Emma.
"And where do they live?"
mo. 5 Werthaerstrasse, Dresden,
Germany"
Soon she was talking steadily,
telling me the story of her life and
all was doing was listening.
She told me of her own unfor-
tunate love story, when she was very
Young, which I do not think fair to
tell you.
She told me how, in 1881, she got
Job with the North German Lloyd,
as a hairdresser, and was assigned
to the S. S. Bremen, plying between
Bremerhaven, Germany, and New
York. 1t was adventure to her and
she gloried in it-but that unfortu-
nate love affair sent her home,
weeping, to her parents in less than
two years, and with them she re-
manned until 1886.
Then she went to work again TOR
the steamship line,
It was on the S. S. Gneiseneu
that she first met Schluter. And
when later he was transferred to
the S. S. Europa so he could be
Of greater service to the Nazl spy
ring in America, she went along
to the Europa, too.
And one day in port at Bremen
haven" she said, almost dreamily
'he told me he was an agent Of the
German secret service, and offered
to have me made one, too
To Garry Messages.
And so he agreed. She was to be
his assistant in bringing messages
and instructions from Nazi spy head
quarters in Germany to the Nazi
spies in the United States, and to
take back the naval and military,
air and coast defense secrets they
stole here.
That is her story. I would believe
It entirely except for the letter found
In Rumrich's apartment when he
was arrested. The letter was from
the mysteriously but obviously very
important spy chief, IN. Spielman,"
In Bremen, Germany. And that let
ter referred to Miss Hofmann as
"Jenni, my agent several times,
and in the terms which indicated
she was of greater importance than
she now was admitting to me.
But my immediate concern was to
get from her the names of the Nazi
spies in New York she had just ad-
mitted contracting. I let her go on.
when the Europa docked in New
York the next trip" she said,
Schluter gave me package of let
ters and told me to put them in my
handbag. That was in January,
1885," she volunteered, "and that
was the first I had to do with the
matter" I felt sure that was false
that she was becoming alert and
careful again, and covering up ac-
tivities prior to the point she sus-
pected knew about. But still I
waited and let her go on.
Karl said I was to go along with
him." she continued, ito see the va
rious agents in New York and hand
the letters over to them.
There she halted and there we
were, almost back where we started
from. But now, I figured. she real
lied that she had gone too far in
her story to play so dumb-or stub
born-any longer.
Nov do you remember" I asked
quietly, "the names of the people
you visited here?"
Under the bunk in my cabin -
she said slowly, you will find a
brown leather bag. In it are small
packet of letters Those are letters