The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918 — John Shaqi
The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918Jones, John Price
History
The German Secret Service in America 1914-1918
Jones, John Price
World War, 1914-1918 -- Secret service -- Germany
On October 8 Goltz sailed for Europe, armed with his false passport,
and a letter of introduction to the German Consul-General in Genoa. He
reached Berlin safely, received his orders, returned to England, and
was arrested on November 13. The public was not informed of his arrest,
yet in Busse's letter from Buffalo of December 7, he mentioned Goltz's
capture in London. News traveled fast in German channels.
Examination of his papers resulted in a protracted imprisonment, which
daily grew more painful, and finally Goltz agreed to turn state's
evidence against his former confrères. It was not until March 31, 1916,
that Captain Tauscher was interrupted at his office by the arrival of
agents of the Department of Justice, who placed him under arrest. He
was held in $25,000 bail on a charge of having furthered a plot to blow
up the Welland Canal.
Meanwhile Goltz's confession had implicated him in something more than
a casual acquaintance with the plot; stubs in the check-book of Captain
von Papen established payment made by the latter to Tauscher of $31.13,
which happened to be the exact total of two bills from the du Pont
Company to Captain Tauscher for dynamite and hemp fuses delivered on
September 5 and 13 to "Bridgeman Taylor." Prior to the trial in June
and July, 1916, Tauscher offered to plead guilty for a promise of the
maximum fine without imprisonment, but his offer was rejected by the
United States attorneys. A letter was introduced as testimony to his
good character from General Crozier, the then head of the Ordnance
Department at Washington. Goltz made an unimpressive witness, and
Captain Tauscher, protesting his innocence as a mere intermediary in
the affair, was acquitted of the charge.
Of the smaller fry Fritzen was arrested in Los Angeles in March, 1917.
He stated then to officers that he had made trips to Cuba after the
outbreak of war in 1914, had traveled over southern United States in
two attempts to reach Mexico City, and had finally found employment
on a ranch. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Tucker and Busse
were witnesses at the Tauscher trial and were treated leniently. Covani
turned from his previous occupation as hunter to that of quarry, and
was not apprehended.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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