A gentleman by the name of Joseph Freiheit—Freiheit means “freedom” in German—said that if sent to the army he would not shoot at the Germans. He advised his friends to do the same. He was brought to headquarters and reprimanded. The next day he committed suicide. Case closed.
A man who owned a garage was reported hostile to Liberty Bonds and Thrift Stamps. A certain operative went to talk over with him the question of Thrift Stamps. The question was asked, “How many do you want me to buy?” The solicitor said he thought about a thousand dollars worth. He bought a thousand dollars worth in cash, then and there. Almost persuaded.
A very elusive draft dodger was Geo. F——, who was chased from pillar to post, but not come up with. He was discovered to have an intrigue with a waitress, Jennie M——, who also would change her name once in a while, leave her place of employment and be gone a day or two. The question was, where did she go? The operatives on the case took Jennie down to the Federal Building, where she told so many conflicting stories that she was locked up. Meantime, the Post Office Department advised that certain letters were sent back from Elyria, Ohio, addressed to “F. J. P——.” The return card brought the trail around to one of the original dwelling-places of the suspect. The operative now went to this address and found the owner of the home and threatened to arrest him for abetting a deserter from the United States Army. These letters were opened and it was discovered that the man desired was getting mail at the post office at Monroe, Michigan. So the operative went to Jennie in jail and said, “Well, we have got George over in Michigan.” “Is that so?” said the girl; “how did you get him?” The operative declined to tell, and said the only thing he wondered about was what name George was going under in Monroe. The girl finally admitted that his name there was “F. J. P——.” It took patience and shrewdness to follow the trail in Monroe. However, a name was found written in two places in a register of a workingmen’s hotel there. The initials were the same as for F. J. P——, one of the many alias names. The landlady was found, and a picture of Jennie was shown her. She said it was the same picture that “F. J. P——” had in the back of his watch. The rest was rather simple. The operator hired a taxicab and started out in search of his man, who then was engaged as night watchman on some road work. A steam roller was found in the middle of the road, displaying a red lantern, with a man fast asleep on top. The operative awakened him, and identified him as the much wanted Geo. F——, alias Ed. D——, alias Geo. W——, alias F. J. P——, alias F. J. P——. The man was handcuffed and the party started back for Monroe. In due time, the suspect was taken to the Department of Justice, and on December 14 the long trail ended for him. The details of this pursuit are among the most interesting of those which have been turned in for any case on the Cleveland records.
One operative had what he took to be a regular Conan Doyle novel, all spread out before him. It involved what was known as “The House of Mystery,” where all kinds of mysterious goings and comings and every sort of dark, secret midnight interview took place. After a long, long time the house of mystery was closed. The inspector was able from other information to tell the operatives what was the matter with his case—which is not reported in full. The inspector said: “Your elderly woman there is the mother of the younger woman, who is married to a worthless scamp, from whom she is seeking a divorce. They have a beautiful home in the mountains of the West, and that is where they go on the mysterious trips you have been noticing so long. Their trunks are filled with valuable papers, and when they finished discussing these, they put them back in the trunks. The little child is the son of the young woman. The reason they rented this isolated house and made a prisoner out of the child was because the father has been trying to kidnap the child. The mysterious chauffeur is the secretary of the ladies. When he enlisted for the war they found cause to weep on that account.” The operative had been working on an ordinary society detective story instead of a plot against the United States.
Perhaps these very few random cases may serve to show the variety of the sixty thousand handled in Cleveland. What did it all mean for the safety and security of the United States? Who can measure it? That is a thing impossible. But that the good citizens of Cleveland appreciated what the A. P. L. has done may be seen from abundant local evidence. Under date of December 24 the Cleveland newspapers came out in open condemnation of the wave of crime then threatening the city. The Plain Dealer said very plainly:
The amazing boldness of bandits, burglars and miscellaneous plug-uglies in Cleveland has finally stirred the city to an insistent demand that something approaching war methods be adopted in dealing with them. It is peculiarly irritating to know that most, if not all, of the criminals are young men of military age. While better men have been giving their lives to free the world of the terror of Germanism, these stealthy enemies have been staging a reign of terror of their own in a modern American community. The American Protective League has wisely placed its services at the disposal of the police. All public spirited citizens should coöperate in every possible way. The police are shooting to kill, and the more frequently their aim proves true the better it will be for Cleveland. It is not time for leniency or compromise. The thug of to-day, who has so serious a misapprehension of the privilege of being an American, deserves nothing beyond a snug grave. There have been other epidemics of outlawry in Cleveland, and perhaps the present “crime wave” is no more menacing than some that have gone before. But coming just at this time, when so great a price has been paid to make America and all the world safe and decent, the impudence of the gunman is peculiarly infuriating.
The Cleveland Press headed one of its editorials: “Chief, call out the A. P. L.!” In answer, the Chief of the Cleveland Police did call on the A. P. L. once more, although this was six weeks after hostilities had ceased. All of the following Saturday night and Sunday there were A. P. L. men patrolling the streets of Cleveland in motor cars in company with the police.
The disbanding of the A. P. L. was openly deplored in Cleveland. What is going to be the future condition of the United States in these days following the war? One thing is sure, the thinking men of the country are uneasy. There is reason to feel concern, in a city like Cleveland, over bolshevism and labor troubles. There do not lack those who predict for all America the wave of disregard for property and life which quite often ensues at the close of a great war—and this war was the greatest upheaval of human institutions and human values the world has ever seen. But matters in Cleveland might have been worse—much worse.
CHAPTER VIII
THE STORY OF CINCINNATI
Data from a Supposed Citadel of Pro-Germanism—Gratifying Reports from the City Which Boasts a Rhine of its Own—Alien Enemies and How They Were Handled—Americanization of America.