GERMAN SPY ON LINER

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 98, 25 April 1917, Page 11

GERMAN SPY ON LINER

EXTRA PRECAUTION THAT PROVED FATAL.

An interesting story of the detection of a captain of the . Imperial German Staff who spied in America and Was captured on a neutral boat at- Falmouth while on his way home via Holland, ie told in the Daily Express. His name is Boehm. ,' .

-Some Montns ago Boehm travelled, by a. iieutral boat from Holland to New •York. "When he arrived he adopted the guise of an American ...citizen aid the name of Thrasher. Ab Mr. Thrasher he made a prolonged tour in North and South America, and gleaned much military and political information wlttich he knew would be of great value to his brother-Huns. . . ;, '

Over a month age- he started on his return journey_ to. Germany. First of all, with the aid .of tYjo./riands whon..he <-employed* to act 'a/, Ms guarantors, he obtained a false paasport in the name bi Thrasher, which described .him as an American citizen. :With this passport and, a considerable quantity'of American and English money, a&d',-wiibb *a most proriouilce'd .American- accent, he hoped: to steer"his'way through all difficulties. ■'■'Matters Svent'Well for him until, liy. the. power of^ the British Navy, the neutral vessel m which he travelled put into Falmoutb, to discharge- those passengers --whose destination was England and to allow the examination of those proceeding ito Holland., The man' who called .himself "Thrasher intended to go on t6 Holland;, ' : • , - : ; He^rfeparetf': himself for the ordeal bf examination. His accent, was American of the *fiheat bra M.' His clothes wefe ' also <javidy!sly American. His passport •Was. American^. Apparently he thought these precautions'.were 'not allrsuflicient, for he developed .shortsightedness., and woro spectacles. , This.proved to be his undoing, for a far-sighted officer noticed .that the shortsighted Thrasher did not' appear alto- ' geu^r' easy. His- spectacles, seemed io Worry hies. He' wore them as thouglv they were strangers. A little-.thing like that excites suspicion in war time. Thrasher was qiien. tioned and, cross-examined. Ho was tested for..his English, his German, and liis American, and the suspicion grew into a certainty. Thrasher was asked to go a3hore, and there, he was put' to such a< severe <cross-extt.mination that he coiv feseed his real- name was Boehm.-

The police then took possession of him, conducted him to London, and, after various formalities had been gone through, he was removed to an internment camp.'