Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-01-13 | Page 19 | Is Not a Spy or Traitor, Says Ritter in Cell

IS S NOT A Spy OR TRAITOR SAYS SASS RulER RITTER TIN IN CELL U. U S. S Soldier of Gennan German Birth l Declares Investigation tion Will Clear Him LEFT HOME BECAUSE OF MILITARISM THERE Military Police Assert They Have Strong g Evidence v in Case Camp Lewis American Lake Wash Jan 12 Is 18 Is It Just because I am aGerman a a. aGerman aGerman German that I am suspected of ot being a spy p o So asks L Maj Thomas Helmuth RI flitter Lter of or the Three Hundred and Sixty- Sixty first Infantry held in the guardhouse I on such a char charge I But RItter flitter is not bitter nor downcast downcast downcast down down- cast He says it only will require the proper Investigation to exonerate him It seems that it was just because I 1 Iwas Iwas was German that I 1 was handy to blame the missing papers on he said to a Republican Herald representative in his cell toda today I have havo now a letter in my pocket from rom m my mother in which she tells me that I am a traitor to m my country because I did not go so there to fight 1 I Imay 11 may be thought a traitor according to the law of Germany German but I am not a traitor to my country Could Not dot Cut Eu With Brother rother flitter Ritter said that ho left Germany because because because be be- cause he did not like Ine the lack of oC democracy that prevented him eating at nt the same table with his brother rother who was a lieutenant in tho the German army I I 1 was a a. carpenter because my mother did not have mone money enough h to get tet me a commission he said and so I could not cat eat at the thc same ame table with my brother who was an officer I made up m my mind to come to AmerIca America Amer Amer- ica lea and get a commission con here flitter RItter declared that lint the thc statement made by the officers here hore that he was the son of a quartermaster general generalL of or orthe the German Eighth army corps was as false as his father ather died when he was but hut three t months old His brother he said killed himself a few days before war war was declared between tho the United States and Germany Wh Why should I be a sp spy for fot a n countr country country coun coun- tr try which regards me as a traitor he asked ed as he stood rigidly at at attention attention attention at- at an and told his story The officers sa say that I suddenly be- be j Continued on Page 12 I DENIES I HE IS TRAITOR OR Spy Continued From Page Pago 1 This Section came camo wealthy ho continued and that I bought m my way out of ot the arm army Idid I 1 Idid did bu buy my way out but the records show v that I deposited some months 20 O and some months 10 with Ith the pay pay- master It cost coat me 10 to bu buy my discharge discharge dis dis- charge and nd I did so o because I did not want an any longer to at stay In the tho Philippine Philippine Philip Philip- Philippine pine Islands As Aa soon as I got to lo San Francisco I re enlisted and afterward went to the tho border S Second cond Papers Taken n D OutI OntI Out onto I got m my second citizenship papers pap ra at lt Yuma Ariz after the law that re required ro- ro a a. years year's residence in tho the state elate had been waived w for tor me by the Judge because I was a soldier I RItter flitter tae says that all his hie statements statement I which will clear him can be bo verified by records and that he ho wants nothing I morn moro than to show that there are no strings to his loyalty lt I Officers of ot the military police when I they read flitters flitter's interview asserted that they wore were in possession of ot Information Information mation matlon that would cause causo him either tobe to tobe tobe be tried for tor treason and shot or cause him to be Interned for the tle period of ot tho the war I MaJ raj Gen Georgo George V. V Strong divisional divi Judge advocate is awaiting word I regarding the disposition of ot the case from Washington I