THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF A FRAUDULENT PASSPORT
An English translation of the letter, the first and last pages of which are shown above, follows:
S. S. Kristianiafjord, Bordjen, Nov. 20, 1914. Most honoured Mr. Ruroede: As you see, my voyage across succeeded magnificently with your kind help. The weather until Sunday was fine—then three days’ storm. The beginning was not of a nature to inspire confidence, for five hours after we had left New York we were stopped by a cruiser and for two hours the ship’s papers were searched for contraband. We had also some copper on board, but that was for Norway, whereupon they let us go. Our Captain then ran straight North to the 63 latitude. We nearly touched Iceland in order to get out of the way of other cruisers. It was only while we were making for Bergen from a northerly direction yesterday that a cruiser overtook and stopped us, and for a short while six of your men were feeling pretty shaky, especially I, for among the 18 first-class passengers, more than half were Germans, also a former vice-consul from Japan (now captain of cavalry) of the Bonn Hussars, Naval Officer from China, and others. The incident lasted only a half hour. After searching for ship’s papers, the gentlemen disappeared, and we breathed more freely, and drank a cocktail to the —— and your prosperity. Once more many thanks for your assistance. May you help many others as well. With best wishes, Yours, Edward Eaton, in Japan named Eichelbert.
Shortly after noon they met on the street and went into the restaurant together. A few minutes after they were seated two of the special agents came in and took a table about fifteen feet away. After Aucher had ordered lunch for himself and Ruroede, he took out of his pocket another of the series of genuine passports supplied by the State Department, to which he had attached one of the photographs Ruroede had given him for this purpose. He handed the passport to Ruroede, who opened only one end of it, just enough to glance at the photograph and seal.
“That’s fine,” said Ruroede, and was about to slip it into his pocket when Aucher seized it and exclaimed:
“Fine? I should say,” and opened the passport wide so that one of the other special agents could see the red seal on it. “Just look at that description. Eh? He is the fellow with the military bearing and I gave him a description I figured a man like him should answer to.”
At this point, the special agent who had seen the seal left his seat at the table and walked to the cashier’s desk. As he passed, Ruroede was holding the passport in his hands and Aucher was pointing out the description. Ruroede then put the passport into his pocket and said again: “That’s fine.”
Aucher then opened a discussion of Von Wedell’s career and disappearance. Ruroede was very contemptuous of the missing man. “He was a plain fool,” he said. “He paid $3,500 altogether and got very little in return. A fellow came to him one day and told him he could get him American passports and Von Wedell said: ‘All right; go ahead.’ The fellow returned later and said he would have to have some expense money and he gave him $10. A little while later a friend of the first man came to Von Wedell wanting expense money. When Von Wedell decided to put him off, he became threatening and Von Wedell, fearing he might tell the Government authorities, gave him some money. A few days later about twenty fellows came looking for Von Wedell. But quite aside from that sort of business Von Wedell’s foolishness in forging names on two American passports is the thing that made him get away.”