“P.K.”
“P. K.,” as his hirelings called him, was a sort of boss, an unmerciful autocrat in the lower world, physically fearless, trusting no man and driving every man to work by the use of violent abusive language, boastful of his skill, physical prowess and his craft. In appearance, he gives this impression. A tall, broad-shouldered man, he has bony fingers and arms long and powerful reaching almost to his knees. His dark, sharp eyes dart suspiciously at you from beneath black, arching eyebrows, showing defiance and yet a certain caution. A truly typical person he is for the work for which he was selected, and though perhaps a little too boastful, such supreme confidence undoubtedly is a necessary attribute of any man who would acquire any degree of success in such undertakings.
Koenig is another product of the Hamburg-American Steamship Line—the Kaiser’s very own. Prior to the war he was superintendent of the company’s police, having a half-score men under him and keeping watch on the pier workers or investigating complaints received by the management. He had grown to that task from similar training in the Atlas Service, a subsidiary corporation. He had spent years among longshoremen, bossing them and cursing them. He knew wharf rats, water-front crooks, and was thoroughly acquainted with their schemes—as naturally such a man would be. He understood thoroughly how to handle men of the rough type.
When the war started and von Papen was searching for an assistant organizer, he found in Koenig’s little police force a splendid nucleus of just what he needed. At his request the Hamburg-American Line quickly put Koenig at von Papen’s disposal and straightway von Papen began to link up to Koenig’s police a number of channels of information, to supply him with reservists for special assignments, to suggest to him how to spread out and instal spies in various places to gather important facts. Koenig accordingly became the business manager of a part of Germany’s secret service, not only gathering information, but acting as a link in the labyrinth system employed by von Papen in communicating with the reservist or agent selected to do certain work in behalf of the Fatherland.
How varied and steady was his work for von Papen is revealed by the latter’s cheques. Here are a few excerpts: “March 29, 1915, Paul Koenig (Secret Service bill), $509.11; ... April 18, Paul Koenig (Secret Service bill), $90.94; ... May 11, Paul Koenig (Secret Service), $66.71; ... July 16, Paul Koenig (compensation for F. J. Busse), $150; ... August 4, Paul Koenig (5 bills Secret Service), $118.92,” and so on. Remember also that von Papen only paid from his cheque account for a part of Koenig’s expenses, other German officials who employed him receiving a bill for the special work.