After stating that he saw von Papen and Boy-Ed, and that neither would have anything to do with him, apparently because they were suspicious of his identity and feared a trap, Fay continued:
“I did not want to return (to Germany) without having carried out my intention, that is, the destruction of ships carrying munitions. I proceeded with my experiments and tried to get hold of as much explosive matter as in any way possible....”
Fay and two confederates were arrested in a lonely spot near Grantwood, New Jersey, while testing an explosive. During his examination at police headquarters in Weehawken immediately after the arrest he was questioned as follows:
Q. That large machine you have downstairs, what is that?
A. That is a patent of mine. It is a new way of getting a time fuse....
Q. Did you know where Scholz (Fay’s brother-in-law) had this machine made?
A. In different machine shops....
Q. What material is it you wanted (from Daeche, an accomplice)?
A. Trinitrotoluol (T. N. T.)....
Q. How much did the machinery cost?