Evening star., 1938-12-20

" VI INtCS OH obGtofCIt4 tftO VuSt
spy ring in the United States, by
Leon G. Turrou. former ace
G-man.)
Red-headed Jenni Hofmann was
not entirely the naive dupe she and
her lawyer tried to make her out to
be during the spy trial. 1t did not
come out at the trial that she played
major role in enlisting a Nazi
spy-Guenther Gustav Rumrich's
younger brother in Czecho-Slo-
vakia.
Rumrich's brother, Sudeten, was
student at Prague, the capital of
Czecho-Slovakia. He wrote Rumrich
that he wanted excitement, that he
was planning to enlist with Ger
man mercenaries in Spain. His first
name was the same as Rumrich's
middle one-GuStav.
But Rumrich wrote back advising
against it and promising instead, in
glowing terms, to have him made a
Nazi spy right at home. In jan
uary, 1898, he spoke to Schluter
and Jenni about it when they Wis
tied him at his apartment in New
York, and they were enthusiastic.
So Rumrich wrote his kid brother
again, telling him to write to N.
Spielman through the Dundee, Scot
land, spy relay. And he told Gus
tav to expect a reply by messenger
-Jenni Hofmann.
Young Gustav wrote to Nazi spy
headquarters offering his services
and explaining he was the brother
of one of their American spies. His
offer was snapped up quickly. Rum
rich had given Jenni two photo
graphs of his brother, and on Feb
ruary IS Jenni saw young Gustav in
Teplitz-Schoenau, in the seething
Sudeten area, and hired him as q
Nazi spy.
Rumrich Arrested Same Day.
Ironically, that was the day Rum
rich was arrested here trying to get
American passport blanks for use
by Nazi spies in other lands.
From Teplitz Jenni went to Bre-
men, back to her ship. and II days
later we nabbed her here in New
York. do not know what has be-
come of young Rumrich.
The $40 attached to one of the
coded letters Jenni Hofmann
brought here on the S. S. Europa
was intended for Guenther Gustav
Rumrich, in payment for a bit of
spy work for Nazi headquarters in
Berlin.
The $40 in American money Jenni
was to give Rumrich was for a copy
of the restricted code used by the
United States Army Air Corps for
land-plane radio communication. It
was stolen for Rumrich from
Mitchell Air Field, Long Island, N. Y,
by Erich Glaser, his friend and
stooge.
But back to Jenni Hofmann, and
Rumrich, and the letters, and where
they led me in cracking this spy
case. Here is the coded letter
Schluter sent to Rumrich via Jenni:
Dear friend:
Il am sending you through
Jenni $40 for the code. Kindly
give $40 to the one who has got
ten the code and $50 are for you.
"(2) How is it with the plans
of the aircraft carriers Yorktown
and Enterprise? We pay for all
the plans 81 900. II you can get
them for 500 then the $70O are
for you. So talk about the whole
matter with Jenni and tell her
how the matter Of the plans will
be handled. You need not be
afraid. AS far as the money is
concerned, you will see that
take care Of everything promptly.
"(3) What about the pistol mat
ter which we discussed?
40 How is it about the Amer
lean passports? Please give them
to Jenni. Please inform Jenni
Of the price.
"(5) Can you get me various
Army and Navy photographs?
You must state the price to me.
"(6) How about the anti-air-
craft gun? Can you get me some
thing along that line?
"CO Address of American en-
gineers who worked abroad and
did not return.
"(8 Key procedure.
"(9) Everything that is known
at the consulate regarding Rus
sian orders from American in
dustry regarding naval matters"
New Tyne Of Pistol.
The third paragraph refers to a
new type pistol perfected for the
United States Army. Other corre-
spondence between Rumrich and the
fantastic IN. Spielman" at Bremen
shows Rumrich had been trying to
get at that for long time.
The fourth paragraph touches on
the plot which resulted in Rum
rich's arrest-an attempt on his part
to get blank American passports by
posing as Government official.
The fifth paragraph, about va
rious Army and Navy photographs. "
sounds silly but is not entirely.
Rumrich remembered that when
he served in the Amy as a SER
geant there were lots OF pictures
of groups of soldiers and scenes
which included interesting details
! OF vital defense points and fortifica-
tions. So, in the name of CHASER. he
wrote to commercial photographer
there and asked him to send him
SIS worth. Rumrich was arrested
before reply came.
The reference to the anti-aircraft
gun harks back to what told you
TRAVEL.