OCR Text |
Show 3fHowe Trapped Mysterious LtIaxjrChief Hpn I ChemC 0f nnnCrSOn' e German Secret I 1 11 . tab: Hi Mil "M i 1 1 1 V' r v b4 wn ' ' Robert Fay, ' better V known a Lieut. Fay, whose lief . ' failed to puzzle - - Chief Flynn. Ml j CAE YT 3 ; By WILLIAM J FLYNN flBt Former Chid of the Srcrct Service. DURING the first hair of 1915. Jonnerson, Jon-nerson, Chief of the Ccrman Secret Service, went to flic Imperial t'han-isjHrMor, t'han-isjHrMor, tosapeforc th.ii B nP0rt tascil hi , , ttT more . Amerl. jrfVv This report i Bg8pf suck" fgMhs obscr v i IBlteO Mi.it lHermnn Cum. nun. Mil fl. the 1 . VKrom the growing dote tu ffKeiser it was th.it somebody PSteuld hav iMi7 that, when (ho lleurred within a K9feoard o ii MTOjrould fa 1 1 i Bperman Joniu r-M,, IM Unit i slopes? b pfVTalled t., , gV"JC shipment . I IBllicd lfcltion ' gt "''f ' ' Bccc&Kfni i iln jjrWlerniii n .; .. ifffeals. . : Vl a ii r.i' . :i pointed out, the people of the United States were getting Quit i tired of It and neutrality was becoming be-coming more- and more of a joke. Every attack, every outrage, every affront, was widenlug the gap between the United States and Germany. Washington might keep up a diplomatic pretense of neutrality. neutral-ity. Legally America way non-partisan. Rut whether they realized it or not. the American people were storing up a flood of dlilike for Germany that, sooner or later, would hurst forth. And then, as Cdne other than Ueinrich Frlcdrich Albert, Al-bert, the Comrneri lal Attache to Arubas sador Bernstorff, insistently predicted. Germany would have to light America and Germany would lose. A Scapegoat to Be Found To Save the Kaiser s Face This being tho ease, suggested Jonncr .-on. it would be well to try out a scheme of bjfl that he had borrowed from Kup-)i Kup-)i history. The idea was to send to Ani'.iiia a corps of whipping boys. The whipping boy, Jonnerson explained, came IV'.' tally into being somewhere back in Hi. tunc when the Henrys were British l in The heir to the British throne might be a dullard In the school room. Very well, there was a whipping boy pro-: pro-: i,. take tho rovji dullard's ranlng. which. In the Interests of democracy, was not to be spared scions of the royal house Just because they were the exalted persons per-sons t,bcy v. ft To some lusty young noble fell the honor of liclng the prince's whipping hoy. It was quite an honor. Let the prince fail in his tests or stick out his tonguo at the master or prod his well bred neighbor with a pin. and the whipping hoy wan dragged tb the front and i anted with a nice trouncing. Thus the dignity of the heir -i to the throne was preserved and the populace was spared the news that their next king was a trifle stupid. Furthermore, Further-more, the rules of the school were upheld and the laws of discipline preserved. In addition to that. Jonnerson explained, these whipping boys would be decoys chemically charged decoys, who would, at the proper moment, throw up dense smoke screens to veil the more serious operations opera-tions of the- Kaiser's aces in America Allien von Papen. Boy-Ed. Bernstorff, and so oit. These decoys would by whatever mean-, the immediate situation made must expedient attract attention to themselves whenever something particularly odious to Americans was transpiring or had just transpired. And. finally, these same decoys de-coys were to confess and retract confes sions, to submit to arrest and make rambling ram-bling statements to the police. These statements would have the effe. t of making the whole affair more or less ridiculous or, if it was an affair not sus- eptible to ridicule, to explain that they, did it all alone and that all the German officials in America had refused to have anything to do with it that Boy-Ed, Von Papen. Albert & Co. insisted that nothing of the sort should be done. We were never able to learn just what Hollweg thought of this scheme. We knew merely that the plan did not appeal as much to him as It had to Jonnerson. In the first place. Hollweg was of the opinion opin-ion that it didn't matter much what America thought. Germany was certain to win and then America would bo taught to respect her greatness. Again, as far. as we could lparn, Hollweg withheld his approval on the ground that the idea was more or les. fantastic un-Cerman, so to bpeak, and lacking in dlgnit) Germany won with the sword. German needed no Brltis.i trickery. We never learned Hollweg8 actual reply to Jonnerson. but we do know that Jonnerson Jonner-son left the august presence still convinced con-vinced that he had a brilliant scheme and that he was going to rive it a trial. German Plotters Thought They Dealt With German Minds He made his first experiment earty in 1915, Like many plans that tickle the ear and read well, this one didn't produce to its maximum of possibilities. No smoke screen could have been big enough. In the final analysis the men chosen for the whipping boy posts were not big enough. Repeatedly we came upon situations that t a i led to impress us and later on the Gct mans responsible for the situation seemed amazed that their subterfuges had failed to leave us c onfounded. It required no particular genius to see through these German plots. The great trouble with the German mind, as we en-countered en-countered it. was that it failed to realize that here in America it was not dealing with other German minds. And no matter how long the German agents were operating oper-ating here they failed utterly to grasp the fundamental of what we might just as well . ill the American psychology. Jonneraon'B trial horse was Robert Fay Lieutenant Fay may sound more familiar. We hivo drawn far enough away from the war by this time to have regained something some-thing like a normal perspective. At least we can view the thing that Interested us most with clearer vision; we are not dis-t dis-t ra.ted now by a thousand and one petty side issues. And it all seems so clear now that the great tumult of contradiction, repudiation, buffoonery and ridl.Mil that atteuded the arrest nnd trial of Fay was just as much a part of the Jonnerson plan as Fay himself was. The foundation of the Jonnerson plan consisted of deceotiou. ' WhM a German spy's bomb did to a railroad pier in New Jersey where munititions ships were loaded. confusion and nol Anything to distract us from the main issue. There is no question but that Fay did an amazing amount of lying. I don t believe I ever came Into contact with a man with a greater appetite for publicity. How he relished the newspaper accounts of his alleged al-leged daring' Yet with all hi- lying and all the dis credit heaped upon him by every official German, from Von Bethmann Hollweg dow n to Br Albert, It Is utterly true that this somewhat harebrained young man was sent from Germany to New York to do whatever damage he could to allied ship pins:. lie was something of a problem in Germany not wholly trustworthy in exe cuting stated commissions, but one of those fellows liable to produce when least expected. On the mere chance that he would make good his boast that he would strew the West Atlantic with the wreckage of munition carrying ships, he was sent to America by Jonnerson. I BUS peel that Jonnerson looked upon Fay with some misgiving. At times the man would Impress you as a dangerous fanatic, liable to do damage to any one or any place. Again he would convince you that beneath that cloak of erratic.-, there was a COOl. calculating, daring mind Several times I accused him of bring a fraud in that he was in New York merely to be the goat for other German spies and dynamiters to kick up a tremendous fuss about a comparatively small thing, while the rer.l desperadoes were busy perf- ting plans to destroy ships and munition plants In short. It was my opinion that he was Jonnerson's lirst experiment It has not been proved that this deduction was incorrect. Fay I i or a he wa instructed to lie. There seems to be no doubt about that, lie eras denounced by Boy-Ed and Von Papen They repudiated him. branded him as a deserter from the German army and said that he should be In the psychopathic psycho-pathic ward in Be'.levue. or in some retreat for the criminal insane. Ami Fay promptly admitted that he was a deserter, that neither Von Papen nor Boy-EJ would have anything to dp w ith him and that lis Wii ri liar. ' , He was no deserter. He didn't beloui: in the Insane asylum. And he had the approval ap-proval and applause and thanks of every official German In America. He was hero to act the fanatic to be the goat. Make no mistake about that. Fay was no fool. Lieut. Fay the First of a Succession of Whipping Boys Fay arrived in New York on tho Rotterdam Rotter-dam on April 23. 1915. In currency be had about 1,000, given him by Jonnersou. Since then Jonnerson has Joined iu the gpneral and well planned repudiatioti of Fay. but we learned that it was Fay's own 6ug-geatlOD 6ug-geatlOD that he come to New York and act the buffoon In order to divert attention to himself while ethers perfected plans .If. incidental to making a seeming ass of himself, he could do a bit of damage to allied shipping all the better But, first and foremost, he was the whipping boy the lad to be laden with all the unplcas ant things. Jonnerson told me to do nothing."' Fay told me. until 1 had talked to the Ger man officials in New York. 1 went to Captain Von Papen, but had considerable difficulty identifying myself. Then wedls-. wedls-. .. ed 'be possibility of doing this damage, but Von Papen told me to do nothing of the sort, saying that it might help the Genua i i a use to bring down a ship or two, but that the unfavorable comment and political entMiploments were much mort Important at that time. "Von Papen." according to Fay. "said it Is one thing to do a good thing and another an-other to leave it undone in order not to disturb a better thing." The truth of the matter l that Jonnerson Jonner-son was nn'king his experiment on his own hook. Berlin had not fallen in with the idea for the very reason that Hollweg refused to approve of It. Jonnerson SJU aking a ihrca.e 'if doing something orlg inal; of winning recognition for ingenuity. Jonnerson had studied French police methods, meth-ods, and despite the fact that he was B Prussian In mind, soul and body 100 per cent. Prussian, with the Prussian viewpoint view-point that nohdy but a Prussian is elfi int he had come from Paris unconsciously uncon-sciously impre-sed with the French system. Ami the French system Is utterly French, w hereas the German was wholly Prussian. I ran be no more explicit. Fay received a cold reception from the German officials her?. He so Informed Jonnerson. and the latter told him to go ahead with the instructions he had received; re-ceived; to go ahead despite the rebuffs of his countrymen If the plan worked well life would be easier for F3y. 1 shall briefly review the one exploit of Fjy that ended In his going to the Federal Prl ion In Atl uita. He was arrested on October 21 1013. with one Walter Scholz In Weehawken Ha revealed to the police the warehouse where be had stored a quantity of dynamite. TNT and Iron astlngs and mechanical devices with which to construct bombs These bomb-were bomb-were to be attached to the rudde rs of muni tion ships and so adjusted that they would explode within an hour of so after the ship left New York harbor. The idea was. of rourse tn destroy the ship but failing of that the explosive would destroy the rudder and perhaps the propeller r rew s On the day following his arrest Fay made a long confession and two more men were arrested Paul llaesche and Dr Otto Klet:zle. Then Fay repudiated that con fesslOU and mode another, in which he exonerated all but him Bel I and Scholz saying that Daesche and Klenxlt) merely helped him obtain the explosive Fay Conieion- :md Retraction Whipped Up .1 Cloud OX Dust Lalnr on at his trial Fay tried to make a joke of the bombs They were foolish devices he Insisted, that w.nild not explode under my circumstance. When some of t in e plosives were brpiighl into rouri ftiy changed his sloiy again and said, 'hat while the bombs might have exploded he bad not Intended to attach them to ships in brief, he khked up a tremendous floud of dust. He made so many statements and then made them sound foolish by rctrai lions that the reeling grew that Lbe man was a fool and not representing anything t.ernnn. And that I preclselv what he had ben in'tructed to do rnufus us. The trouble was that he overdid it He was sentenced to Atlanta lor Sight years. And that. It seemed, was the end of Jonner.n's experimenting experi-menting in tbS fantastic. Pay bad rather tough time ot it ouaj Ing tho j-.nn-Tr.n Instructions. He r p elvcd very little financial helv orer here And bis relations cv lth Daern he and Klentl were farcical. They Jidn't trust Fay aul Ka. didn't trust them. The reSttlt was ruin for the H Directly after Fa reported to Boy-fcM ' nnd You Papen he started out like ... boy fraM from school to have a whale of a time splashing around and making hiaiseh ggffffl conspicuous. First he went to Max Brei- H lung, ueplicw of F.dwarc! N. Bieitung. ahd managed to purchase a quantity of chlorld of potassium for persons suggested by Breltung, Then lie met Kleurle. who. ac- J cording to Fay. never vauted to know any-thing any-thing aboil! Tay's plan? (in fact, insisted H upon being left in Ignorance)', hut who. according to Fay, indicated where dyua-mite dyua-mite and TNT might be purchased. Fay went to numerous Germans, talking explosives. He left everywhere the unpros gggggg H sion that he was going to blow up all tho munitions plants and earner: then In ser- vice. He took good care, of course, to talk to persons who would not tell the Government authorities, but all the san-.i I he was pulling the wool over the eyes of these discreet people. He was setting the rfage in accordance with the Jonoerson plan. When something was blown off the gsssH map or out or the water all these people WOUld Instantly th:nk of Fay. The chnncSf were that Pay would not have been respon Bible for it. but he had managed to draw H attention. The talk would be of Fay. That the idea. So far as we know Fay made but one bomb, am! that was never used. He had s i much trouble cett'iiR 'he explosive that be hadn't time to make more He ordered the TNT sent to a garage in Wcehaw-ken. Wcehaw-ken. The man from whom he purchased It agreed to make the delivery, but wanted n. oney first. Fay declared that he would pay when the stuff was' delivered and not before. Twice the explosive sales H man came to Fay and reported that the explosive had been delivered and demanded H the money J But Fay discovered on both occasions thai there had been no delivery and the tight wfl n Eventually a barrel of some lhpg other was delivered and Fay H balked again. He declared that they would l ave to prove to him thai it was the stuff ordered. They took the barrel away with Ibcm threatening Fay with dire things Eventually the garage owner grew tired of lining these arch plotters nround nd rH threw them all out of his place. LH Fay had to slarl in all over again. This lime he met people who had the ne.essarr explosive but who were very shaky about PH Mlline. it Eventual they forced the prb e lip in three or four times the market valu r tlo . ipH'isive and made the deliver). J Scliol and Pay look samples Into the G rani wood Woods, near Weehawken. to l. -I ii tit there we arrested them' It had merely pro ess of trailing Idem until we CSUghl them With the ex plosivi For work-; we had heoid of the ntirirs or this Pay fcllov For a while we did nothing but keep our tars open aod gJ take In whatever Wfl heard about him Eventually, however v.. came to think him dangerous enough to follow. m Oaecbe, Schols and Fay nil went to jail. am later Fay escaped, only to be fetched in September, 1918, and returned to |