Francisco to testify to the circumstances of Chakravarty’s arrest, and
to the statements which he and Gupta had made, we were not in at the
death of the Hindu hunt. The trial was a long affair, with more than a
hundred defendants. Aided by the revelations of the little doctor, the
Government had presented to the Grand Jury a picture of violation of
Section 13 of the Federal Code which caused indictments to be returned
against the entire German consulate of San Francisco, its accomplices
among the shipping men who chartered the _Annie Larsen_ and bought
the _Maverick_, its Hindu agents from the nucleus of Berkeley and Ram
Chandra’s editorial rooms, and a list of other notorious characters
which included von Papen and von Igel, both of whom were by this time
safe in Germany. We did, however, have opportunity to observe the
Indian prisoners, and we noticed that they did not seem altogether
fond of each other. They were forever whispering, wagging their heads,
stuffing notes down each other’s necks and when the testimony of one of
their number grew too truthful they squirmed and scowled. Chakravarty’s
life was threatened during the trial. The officials in charge of the
case all had more than their usual share of responsibility to maintain
order. The trial lasted more than six months. The Germans upbraided
each other in the court room: von Brincken, who had been jealous
of Bopp, and had accused him of indifference to his duties, openly
showed his independence of his chief, and ill feeling spread among
the defendants. Its climax came on April 24, 1918, the day when, with
the testimony all in, Judge Van Fleet ordered a recess preparatory to
delivering his charge to the jury. Ram Singh, one of the defendants,
suddenly rose in the court room and fired two shots at Ram Chandra from
a revolver. Ram Chandra fell dead, and as he did so, a bullet from the
revolver of United States Marshal Holohan broke Ram Singh’s neck. The
jury then received its charge, retired, and returned convictions of the
great majority of the conspirators.
So, just as Holohan’s bullet broke Ram Singh’s neck, Chakravarty’s
statements had broken the neck of the Hindu plot. But there was one
more incident related to it in store for us; it will conclude our
story. The men in charge of the _Annie Larsen_ were a spy named
Alexander V. Kircheisen and a Captain Othmer. Kircheisen’s name had
appeared in several German secret service reports as “K-17.” As late
as 1917 he was arrested in Copenhagen, Denmark, and on his person
was found a letter addressed to another agent, La Nine by name. The
letter advised La Nine that if he arrived in the United States before
Kircheisen, he was to call for the former’s mail at “Kotzenberg’s, 1319
Teller Avenue, in the Bronx.”
When this information reached us, Detectives Randolph and Senff called
at Mr. Kotzenberg’s house. He knew nothing of Kircheisen, he said,
except that he was a friend of his cousin’s.
“Who is your cousin?” asked Randolph, in German.
“His name is Othmer,” Kotzenberg replied. “He escaped from San
Francisco, and he came back across the whole country, half by train and
half in automobile. He stayed here for a while. One morning he put on
some overalls and he left and he went away on a Norwegian boat, and I
guess now he is back into Germany.”
Randolph and Senff searched the house. They found among other papers,
an application which Kircheisen had filled out in New York on January
9, 1917, for a certificate of service as an able seaman. In order to be
granted such a certificate he had to swear that he was a naturalized
citizen of the United States, and that he would “support and defend
the Constitution of the United States against all enemies ... and ...
bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” which he swore without any
qualms of conscience. Furthermore, his character was attested to by one
Charles A. Martin, who also wanted a seaman’s certificate. The records
of the office show that Kircheisen obligingly turned about and swore
to Martin’s good character. I have often wondered who Martin was....
We found in Kotzenberg’s house an expense account which the fugitive
Othmer had submitted to von Papen after he had left the unfortunate
_Annie_ at Hoquiam. And finally, we found two scraps of a memorandum
book, which constituted the log of _Annie_ herself. It reads:
“Mar. 8. left S.D.
Mar. 18. arr Soc.
Apr. 5. Start Digg. wells.
Apr. 9 boat _Emma_ arrived.
2 sailors.
Apr. 10. _Emma_ arrived.
two crews working on well
April 16. Well 22 feet struck hard rock bottom no water gave up
Apr.17. left for Mex. coast
” 22 went ashore in boat look for water
Apr.24th. arr at Acapulco
U. S. S. _Yorktown_ _Nansham_(?)
_N. Orleans_ _Annapolis_
April 27 left Acapulco
May 19 gave up Socorro
made for coast
June 7 (_two illegible words_)
got provisions
June 29 arr. Hoquiam
July 1 arr. W.
1 arr. Investigator
Jul. 4 _aus_”
So, in a word, Othmer summed up all the efforts of the Hindus and the
Germans to hatch revolution in America. All, all “_aus_”!
[Illustration: Alexander V. Kircheisen and his application for a
certificate as able seaman]
V
A TRUE PIRATE TALE
Of all the stories of the sea to which the war has given rise, here is
one that is certainly not the least entertaining. It is not a story of
hunting a criminal. The only part which the Bomb Squad played in it
was bringing the prisoner back to justice. It called for no service on
our part save that of examining the prisoner, and returning him, with
his statements and the statements of others who had dealings with him,
to New York. And I think those statements themselves had best tell the
story.
(_From Detective Corell to the Commanding Officer of the Bomb Squad,
April 1, 1916_)
Sir: In compliance with orders received I went to Lewes,
Delaware, to investigate and if possible bring back one Ernest
Schiller, an alleged German spy....
(_From, a statement taken by Corell at Lewes, Del., March 31, 1916_)
My name is Ernest Schiller. I am a native of Russia, 23 years
of age.... My occupation is that of textile engineer. I arrived
in New York in April, 1915, in the steamship _Colorado_ from
Hull, England, as a member of the crew, my assignment on the
ship being greaser. My name on the ship was Frank Robertson.
When I arrived at New York the captain gave me some of my money
and I left the ship. I worked all told about eight or nine
months, in Pawtucket, R. I., Lawrence, Mass., Whitinsville,
Mass., Newton Upper Falls, Mass., and finished erecting a
factory in Salem, Mass....
(_From the examination of Clarence Reginald Hodson, alias Ernest
Schiller, Robinson, Robertson, A. Henry, New York, April 1, 1916_)
_Question._ What is your full name?
_Answer._ Clarence Reginald Hodson.
_Q._ What other names are you known by?
_A._ Robinson, Robertson, A. Henry, and Ernest Schiller.
_Q._ Where were you born?
_A._ Petrograd, Russia.
_Q._ Where were your father and mother born?
_A._ My father in Russia, my mother in Germany. We lived in
Petrograd until I was about 10 or 11. Then we went to England.
My father and mother left me in Chatham House College, in
Ramsgate. I stayed there three years....
_Q._ What is the name of the head of that college?
_A._ A. Henry.
_Q._ Did you graduate?
_A._ No. I was put on a Cadet--a Marine ship--named _Conway_,
to train as a marine officer. I was on that ship two years.
I left when I was 17 and went to work in a machine shop in
Oldham, outside Manchester, and learned the trade of machinist
there. I left there in August, 1914, and I joined the English
Army.... I was asked to leave the job--was told that they would
not have any young fellows on the job.... My boss said that
sooner or later I should have to leave and that it would be
better to go now, and that there would be a better opportunity.
_Q._ At that time were your sympathies with the English?
_A._ They were never with England. I just wanted to see what
it was like to be a soldier. I didn’t intend to fight against
Germany. I did not think the war would last long--only a few
months--and I knew all the time I could run away if I wanted
to. So in December I left.
_Q._ What was the occasion of your leaving?
_A._ I commenced to discriminate the soldiers and make them
out as to what they really were, and I found them a lot of
rats. I saw that I was not a Britisher in my ideas, and that
I favored the cause of Germany. I used to stay away from the
other soldiers all I could, and go out with a newspaper and
read in the fields. They were always bullyragging me, and one
time I almost killed two soldiers for it. They chastised me for
a German spy. I got away, and worked in Bath for a week, and
then the police caught me and brought me back, and I was later
discharged by my colonel when I explained that I could not
agree with their theory of the war....
(_From the statement of “Schiller” to Corell_)
A few months ago I received a letter from my mother and she
wanted me to go back to Russia. I came down to New York to get
my passport, but it did not arrive, so I waited a month. My
money was gradually going down, so I borrowed some money, I
won’t say from whom....”
(_From the examination of Hodson_)
_Q._ While in Lawrence, Mass., where did you stop?
_A._ At the Saxsonia House, with Germans....
_Q._ What are the names of any other people that you met at the
Saxsonia House?
_A._ Met a gentleman named Gruenwald at a German party. He
invited me to come to his saloon in Lawrence....
_Q._ While up in his saloon was there anybody else you were
acquainted with there?
_A._ Nobody, but I knew a young lady who stopped at the same
house....
_Q._ You were quite friendly with her?
_A._ Yes, platonic friendship.
_Q._ Did she loan you any money?
_A._ She loaned me money from her own will. Two hundred
dollars.... I only asked for $30, but she brought $200 in gold,
all in gold....
_Q._ How long after that before she loaned you any more?
_A._ About a month later.... Telegraphed to her “Want money
immediately.” I received by 12 o’clock $40. She said some more
money coming tonight. Next morning I went to the address in
Hoboken and there was a letter and there was another $40 in
the letter. Then I received $10 another time from her.
_Q._ That’s $290.
_A._ Yes, all I can think of.
(_From the “Schiller” statement_)
... so I borrowed some money, I won’t say from whom. I went
to Boston again and was looking for work. I could not get the
work I wanted, so I returned to New York, and in Hoboken I ran
across a few fellows, I do not know their names, and we made a
plan to get some money....
(_From the Hodson examination_)
_Q._ Now where did you meet the Germans?
_A._ When I arrived in New York, in a saloon near the Cunard
Steamship Company in West Street about 12th, I met a man who
I thought was a German, and I talked to him about blowing up
ships, and we then went to Hoboken where I met the man Haller
in a saloon.... Then we proposed which ship to blow up. That
was the Cunard liner _Pannonia_....
_Q._ And how did you come to decide upon that boat?
_A._ Because I knew perfectly well that all were carrying
plenty of ammunition.... I went down to the piers, and I saw
this boat, and I thought that would be the right kind of a
boat.... I met the three men in the vicinity of Pier 54. I
bought them their suppers.... I then told the unknown man to
get some dynamite ... and I gave him $6. Becker said that he
had a boat, and I gave Becker $8 to buy gasolene, then to buy
two revolvers out of a pawnshop.... I bought Haller a revolver
and 100 cartridges....
_Q._ Did you see them after that?
_A._ Yes, I saw them Saturday morning and asked Becker about
his motorboat and he said that he did not expect it would be
frozen up, and acted as if he would have been willing to go
into the plot only that the boat was frozen up. Becker said
that the boat could be launched in two hours, and although I
do not know anything about running a motorboat it is my belief
that it would have taken six hours to launch this boat---the
boat we were supposed to use to go over in to blow up the
_Pannonia_--and this would be too late to get to the ship
before she sailed.... Since that time I have not seen any of
these men....
(_From the “Schiller” statement_)
... but the other fellows left me, so I went on my own accord.
I saw the steamship _Mattoppo_ was going to leave, so I stowed
away on her, in a life boat, where I remained for five days.
The sixth day we left....
(_From the statement of Captain R. Bergner, of the British S. S.
“Mattoppo”_)
At 3:30 P. M. on the 29th March, the British S. S. _Mattoppo_
sailed from 12th Street pier, Hoboken, destined to
Vladivostock, Russia.
(_From the “Schiller” statement_)
That night ... I came out from my hiding place and walked
towards the captain’s cabin....
(_From Captain Bergner’s statement_)
At about 7:45 P. M. ... when at a point about twenty miles from
Sandy Hook Lightship, I was talking to the Chief Engineer in
his room, and at 8:05 P. M. left and went to my own cabin, and
as I entered my bedroom, which was adjoining, I was held up at
the point of two revolvers by one Ernest Schiller, who said to
me: “Hands up! I am a German. I am going to sink your ship.” He
then made me turn round and gave me a frisk. He found nothing
on me. He ordered me to shut my cabin door; then stood me in
a corner and kept me covered with the two revolvers. Then he
said: “Where is the safe? You have two thousand pounds aboard,
and I want the money!” He told me he had placed bombs aboard
the ship and was going to blow her up.
At 8:20 P. M. the Second Engineer knocked at my door, and
receiving no reply opened it. Schiller instantly covered him
with one of the revolvers and ordered him to come into the
room, which he did. He then locked and bolted the doors on the
inside and asked me for my keys.... He got them and proceeded
to go through all the ship’s papers and my private effects. He
opened my cash box and took four pounds in gold and five pounds
in silver and said it was the first time he had ever robbed
anyone but he needed the money. On seeing from the ship’s
papers that she had barbed wire in her, he said: “That is
contraband, and I am going to sink her.” He then inquired where
I was bound for, and on my telling him she was going to Russia
he seemed to hesitate about sinking her as he said he loved
Russia. The conversation continued until about midnight....
(_From the “Schiller” statement_)
While I was in the Captain’s room the Second Engineer came up,
and after searching him to see if he had any revolvers on him,
I told him to sit down and make himself comfortable. I asked
the Captain if he had any whiskey, as I was cold and had not
had much to eat for five days, so the Captain gave me a bottle
of whiskey and biscuits. After wishing one another good health
we sat there for a couple of hours....
(_From Captain Bergner’s statement_)
At midnight he said that he was going to disable the wireless,
and on hearing someone in the chart room he bound me on my
honor not to leave the cabin saying that if I did he would
shoot me on sight....
(_From the statement of the Second Officer Allen Maclurcom_)
When I came on watch at midnight I passed someone outside the
chart room, but it being dark, and thinking it was the Captain,
I walked on into the chart room, where this party followed
me, and told me to throw my hands up. He told me the ship was
under German command, and not attempt to make any resistance
as it would mean the sacrifice of the Captain’s and Second
Engineer’s lives. He said if the ship had been going to England
he would have destroyed her immediately, but as she was bound
for Russia he would probably spare her. Then he told me to
walk ahead of him to the port-after-lifeboat, and get the axe,
which was in the forward end of it. He then took me back to the
Marconi room....
(_From the statement of the wireless operator, Alexander Dunnett_)
I was on watch in the wireless room when this man came along
with the Second Officer. He held me up with two revolvers, and
brought me along to the apprentice’s room, together with the
Second Officer. The latter told the apprentice, who acts as
second operator, to come out. Schiller held him up, and told us
both to go up to the chart room....
(_From the Second Officer’s statement_)
He then took me back to the Marconi room, and proceeded to
demolish the installation, holding the revolver against my
ribs. From there he went to the Chief Engineer’s cabin and
demanded his rifle, I accompanying him, and after obtaining it,
threw it overboard. From there he made me walk ahead of him
to the Chief Officer’s cabin, who he disarmed whilst he was
asleep. He then ordered me to the bridge to steer south-west by
compass, and as I was going on the bridge the Third Officer
came down and he held him up, I going on the bridge in the
meanwhile.
[Illustration: Lieutenant George D. Barnitz, U. S. N.]
(_From the Wireless Operator’s statement_)
Schiller came back again, and took us into the Captain’s
room. Some time later he came back again and brought me down
to the wireless room to see if I could repair the wireless
installation, which he said he had smashed. I told him it might
be possible to repair one instrument, and he said, “We will
leave it until morning,” and then brought me along the deck
to the Fourth and Fifth Engineers’ cabins and I opened the
door and he went in. Both engineers were asleep and he made me
search all the drawers; he brought out a revolver and a box of
cartridges, which he made me throw over the side. He then took
me to the Third Engineer’s cabin, and searched all the drawers
there. He brought out of there a bottle of whiskey, and asked
me if I had any money. Then he marched me up to the Captain’s
cabin and ordered me to remain there until 6 A. M.
(_From “Schiller’s” statement_)
I went into the various officers’ rooms and took all the
revolvers from them. From the Steward I took ten dollars, and a
two-dollar bill from the Second Mate.
(_From the Second Officer’s statement_)
At 1:30 A. M. he returned to the bridge and ordered me to steer
south by compass.
(_From the “Schiller” statement_)
Then I went to the Captain’s cabin again, and told him I should
sink the ship, but the Captain said he has worked since a boy
on ships for a few shillings a week and he has worked himself
up to this and surely it has not come to this. He said he has
a wife and a child--a girl--and showed me on the wall the
portrait of the child, and I asked him suppose the ship went
down would he get another job, and he said he would have to
work as a longshoreman. He said it was too rough for the boats
to be lowered, so I did not want to commit murder. And knowing
that the Captain would lose his position, and as I am a young
man and can always find work, I asked the Captain if he will
put me ashore in the morning. He gave me his word of honor that
he would....
(_From Captain Bergner’s statement_)
At 5:30 A. M. ... he let me take charge of the ship, and I made
for Delaware Breakwater....
(_From the Wireless Operator’s statement_)
At 6 A. M. he told me I could go below, but not to go into the
wireless room. I was along near the carpenter’s room when he
was searching it, and he made me bring out an axe and took me
to the wireless room again; there he told me to smash up one of
the instruments, and he stood in back of me threatening me. I
asked him then if that would do, after I had partly demolished
the instruments, and he told me to leave the axe and lock the
door, which I did. He then left me.
(_From “Schiller’s” statement_)
When we sighted shore the Captain said that we would have to go
straight towards the lighthouse, or else, if we went the other
way (the way I wanted to) we should run ashore, so I left it to
the Captain and trusted to his word, as he said he would land
me....
(_From Captain Bergner’s statement_)
On approaching land he ordered one of the ship’s boats to be
manned, and said that he was going to take two of the ship’s
officers along as hostages to guarantee that I should not run
him down, and he wanted three Chinese from the crew to row him
ashore....
(_From the statement of John S. Wingate, Keeper of the Cape Henlopen
Coast Guard Station_)
At about 11:30 A. M. I noticed a steamship coming in from off
shore. I said to the crew that it was a war vessel coming but
I didn’t know whether it was German or British. At 11:45 the
lookout reported to me that the steamer was headed direct for
Hen and Chicken Shoal. I immediately ordered the signal “J. D.”
hoisted on the pole, which means, “You are standing into
danger.” When we supposed the ship saw our signal, he stopped,
and laid to for about ten minutes, when he hard a-port and went
clear of the shoal.
A few minutes later he lowered a boat--we thought to take
soundings, for the boat pulled away from the ship and headed
direct for the beach.
(_From the Second Officer’s statement_)
At approximately 11:45 A. M.... I got into the small boat at
his command, with four of the crew, and we proceeded toward
shore, but were stopped by the pilot cutter _Philadelphia_ who
told us that if we attempted to land we would be drowned. The
_Philadelphia_ then towed us into smooth water....
(_From Captain Wingate’s statement_)
Meanwhile the pilot boat was heading down on the ship, blowing
her whistle to warn the ship of her danger. By this time the
ship hoisted a signal “K. T. S.,” which means “_Piracy_.” I
ordered my boat made ready at once when I saw the “Piracy”
signal; five minutes later he started for the ship. At 12:20 I
had called Keeper Lynch of the Lewes station telling him what I
was going to do, and to meet me off the Point.
(_From the statement of Captain John S. Lynch of the Lewes Coast Guard
Station_)
I and my crew launched our power lifeboat and started for the
steamer. Before I could get to the steamer I saw the pilot
boat towing in the steamer’s skiff. The pilot boat let go of
the skiff right off the Capes, and the occupants of the skiff
started to row for shore. I called to them and they stopped. We
went alongside, and I told them I would take the man ashore and
save them the trouble. So he got into our boat.
I then run off and picked up Captain Wingate, whose boat is a
rowboat, and we went alongside the steamer. I asked for the
Captain of the steamer, and they told me he was going ashore in
the sail pilot boat, so we run alongside the sail pilot boat,
and I asked the Captain of the steamer to come along with me.
He says, “I will not. Not with _that_ man in your boat. He’s
got five guns on him!” I then told him that I did not care how
many guns he had as I was not afraid of him and he requested me
to take the man ashore myself. Then this man Ernest Schiller
began to throw his guns overboard: Schiller throwed one gun
overboard, Captain Wingate, who had come aboard my boat throwed
two overboard, and C. A. Jenkins throwed another one overboard,
Schiller having thrown them into the bottom of the boat. He,
Schiller, throwed a lot of cartridges overboard, and when
we came ashore we searched him and took the balance of the
cartridges which he had on him and throwed them overboard. I
then brought him up to the Customs Office and left him there.
(_From “Schiller’s” statement_)
I am willing to go back to New York ... immediately, and
confess my guilt. I swear on oath that there are no bombs
placed on the ship, to my knowledge. I simply made that
statement to the Captain as a bluff.
Thus this venturesome Russian, Hodson by birth, Schiller by preference,
and German by conviction, who single-handed captured a steamship,
returned to New York, thirty-six hours after he had left port. He
walked the plank to the United States Penitentiary at Atlanta for life,
for “piracy on the high seas.”
VI
ALONG THE WATERFRONT
I
_Sugar and Ships and Robert Fay_
Anyone familiar with the waterfront of a great port can appreciate its
difficulties as an area to be policed. One of the busiest sections of
the community during the daytime, it is little frequented at night. In
districts where you find few people you will rarely find lights, and
where there are no lights you may well expect crime. The contours of
the shoreline are irregular, following usually the original margins
of solid ground lining the natural harbor, and for every thoroughfare
which can pass as a street there are a dozen or two alleys, footpaths,
shadowy recesses and blind holes. Locks and keys and night watchmen
will protect the land side of the piers, but from the water side
entrance to any pier is easy, concealment still easier, and flight no
trick at all.
If New York harbor in 1914 had presented the aspect of the same harbor
of twenty years before, I could hardly estimate the confusion which
would have resulted from the coming of war. But there is probably no
port in the world which handles New York’s volume of shipping with
greater orderliness--I speak now from the standpoint of “law and order”
rather than of the terminal facilities of the port. Its waterfront was
physically clean and its longshore population, thanks to a competent
police force, manageable. And yet, as Shakespeare said, “there are land
rats and water rats--”