Evening star., 1938-12-16

We In the +. B. I. didn't lear,
Of the capture Of Guenther Gusta,
Rumrich until we read in the news
papers Of February 10 garbled &C
counts which sounded as If som,
sort Of nut had been arrested TO
making crazy telephone calls.
Yet, I had q hunch. And 30 .
called the police and asked then
to bring him over.
The spies saw the story Of Rum
rich's arrest as soon as did. I
was flashed by radio, in code, Il
Maxi headquarters in Berlin, Bre,
men and Hamburg. German ship
bound for this country got franti,
orders on the high seas to fax,
their crew manifests, change theil
courses, to drop OF spies 1T port
where we could not get them.
"Crown" Is Discovered.
I studied Rumrich q minute with
the police curbing my impatience
why am I here?" he demanded
what has the r. B. I. to do witt
it?"
"Sit down." said.
well. Rumrich, suppose 70,
realize you're in a serious jam?"
Yes. SIR" he said. II do"
"You realize we've got you fol
desertion, embezzlement and i'm.
personation?"
Eyes, sir"
Nov look here" I said quietly
man to man. why did you foo
those ofncers?"
He stiffened but Immediately re.
laxed even more. OF course hi
hadn't fooled them at all, but h.
liked the idea.
Fool them?" he repeated. "What
do you mean?"
You're not the childish dup<
this statement to the police make.
you out to be-"
A faint ghost Of . smile tvitchet
his lips.
You're an important spy
Crown!"
He jumped-and 50 did my pulse
My shot had struck home Her,
before me, picked up by accident
sat the elusive Grown" for whom
the secret police Of two great ma.
tions were searching.
BY three O'Clock the same after.
noon he was ready to break.
"An right. Mr.. Turrou," he said
II realize I'm in serious trouble
Yes, I lied In that statement. Lei
me see my wife 50 that I can ar.
range for her to go home to he,
folks and I'll talk"
The rest was easy.
He called his wife.
She was weeping when she ar.
rived. Though only 10, she held
a az -year-old son by the hand
and obviously was soon to bea,
another.
Don't cry, Curl" Rumrich said
TITS about the money I took in
Montana, and my deserving the
Army. You 60 home to your mothe,
and father in Montana. I'll come
there when they let me co."
All for $50 . Month.
But Guenther Gustave Rumrich
was q sap. He did all this for $50 q
month-and the promise Of bonuses
He was under instructions that
II ever he was caught. he was tc
swear he was working as 4 SOY
for THE British.
But waste no sympathy on Rum.
rich. He was clever-almost bril-.
nant-but he had a criminal mind
Don't pay much attention to the
tales he told on the witness stand
OF fooling the spy chiefs and doine
nothing for them. He was tryine
to get a light sentence.
But let's start at the beginning
OF this story of q traitorous spy
One grandfather was the mayo,
OF the city Of Turin, near the spa
Teplitz-Schoenau. in Bohemia. ther
part OF Austria Hungary. The othe,
grandfather was a professor in the
Royal Hungarian University al
Budapest. His father, a graduate
Of the Kadatten Schulz in Vienna
was an Austrian diplomat.
It was while his father was serv.
Ing at the Austrian Consulate Gen.
eral IN Chicago, ILL.,, that Rumrict
was born, and that made him ar
American citizen, II he chose to be
one. When he was only two. hi,
father was transferred to Bremen
Germany. and Rumrich grew up ir
war-torn Europe.
Back to America,
Things were bleak for ambitious
young men In 1929, and Rumrich
decided to seek his fortune in
America. The American Consul
at Prague, Czecho-S -Slovakia told
MIN he could claim American citi-
zenship. He did. and on Septem-
Der 18. 1929, landed In New York
with 500 in his pocket, and only
few words of English in hi,
mouth.
He found the German colonv ir
New York, and for one glorious week
posed as q rich mans son from
Germany.
He landed q job Is ofiice bow al
SIS week, but he wasn't cut out
1or routine. He was fired. HI
roamed the Bowery, and then, des-
perate, he tried to join the United
states Army. He was accepted
January Is, 1890.
Maybe he was . spy even then
sent by the German government
but doubt that very much. I car
md absolutely no trace that the
German government, until Hitler
and his Nazis came into power
tried any peace time spying in thi.
country.
In six months Rumrich was tirec
OF Army life. He was too arrogant
conceited, to take orders. He liked
TO pose as a big shot, and spenc
freely. Soon he was in debt, hound.
de by creditors. On June 2, 1890 he
skipped out, with $50 in his pocket
$vA S>@ g.