(From the statement of “Schiller” to Corell)
A few months ago I received a letter from my mother and she wanted me to go back to Russia. I came down to New York to get my passport, but it did not arrive, so I waited a month. My money was gradually going down, so I borrowed some money, I won’t say from whom....”
(From the examination of Hodson)
Q. While in Lawrence, Mass., where did you stop?
A. At the Saxsonia House, with Germans....
Q. What are the names of any other people that you met at the Saxsonia House?
A. Met a gentleman named Gruenwald at a German party. He invited me to come to his saloon in Lawrence....
Q. While up in his saloon was there anybody else you were acquainted with there?
A. Nobody, but I knew a young lady who stopped at the same house....
Q. You were quite friendly with her?
A. Yes, platonic friendship.
Q. Did she loan you any money?
A. She loaned me money from her own will. Two hundred dollars.... I only asked for $30, but she brought $200 in gold, all in gold....
Q. How long after that before she loaned you any more?
A. About a month later.... Telegraphed to her “Want money immediately.” I received by 12 o’clock $40. She said some more money coming tonight. Next morning I went to the address in Hoboken and there was a letter and there was another $40 in the letter. Then I received $10 another time from her.
Q. That’s $290.
A. Yes, all I can think of.
(From the “Schiller” statement)
... so I borrowed some money, I won’t say from whom. I went to Boston again and was looking for work. I could not get the work I wanted, so I returned to New York, and in Hoboken I ran across a few fellows, I do not know their names, and we made a plan to get some money....
(From the Hodson examination)
Q. Now where did you meet the Germans?
A. When I arrived in New York, in a saloon near the Cunard Steamship Company in West Street about 12th, I met a man who I thought was a German, and I talked to him about blowing up ships, and we then went to Hoboken where I met the man Haller in a saloon.... Then we proposed which ship to blow up. That was the Cunard liner Pannonia....
Q. And how did you come to decide upon that boat?
A. Because I knew perfectly well that all were carrying plenty of ammunition.... I went down to the piers, and I saw this boat, and I thought that would be the right kind of a boat.... I met the three men in the vicinity of Pier 54. I bought them their suppers.... I then told the unknown man to get some dynamite ... and I gave him $6. Becker said that he had a boat, and I gave Becker $8 to buy gasolene, then to buy two revolvers out of a pawnshop.... I bought Haller a revolver and 100 cartridges....
Q. Did you see them after that?
A. Yes, I saw them Saturday morning and asked Becker about his motorboat and he said that he did not expect it would be frozen up, and acted as if he would have been willing to go into the plot only that the boat was frozen up. Becker said that the boat could be launched in two hours, and although I do not know anything about running a motorboat it is my belief that it would have taken six hours to launch this boat—-the boat we were supposed to use to go over in to blow up the Pannonia—and this would be too late to get to the ship before she sailed.... Since that time I have not seen any of these men....
(From the “Schiller” statement)
... but the other fellows left me, so I went on my own accord. I saw the steamship Mattoppo was going to leave, so I stowed away on her, in a life boat, where I remained for five days. The sixth day we left....