“Through a Canal Zone detective I learnt confidentially that a passenger named Captain F. Duquesne, travelling with a passport issued by the United States Consul at Mañaos, Brazil, had embarked for Trinidad on the R. M. S. Panama on the 14th instant.
“My informant stated that Captain Duquesne poses as an American officer but in reality is an intelligence officer in the service of the German Government.
“I have warned the Governor of Trinidad by telegraph so that a watch may be kept on Captain Duquesne’s movements.”
The wily captain had been cruising rather busily through the Caribbean, over the Isthmus, and into South America. His passport connected him with Mañaos, the British message established his presence at Panama and Trinidad, a German war communiqué dated “December 20,” and signed by the German consul, Lehmann, in Guatemala, showed that he was an acceptable guest at the outposts of the German Empire. And he had visited Nicaragua before he entered Panama in 1915, for we found in his possession this letter:
“Managua, May 5, 1915.
“Imperial German Consulate
for Nicaragua:“It is a pleasure for me to recommend to you, my countrymen, the bearer of this, Mr. Fritz Duquesne, Captain of Engineers to the Boer army, very warmly.
“The same gentleman has on many occasions given many notable services to our good German cause.
“The Imperial German Consul,
“Uebersexig.”
Enclosed in the envelope was Uebersexig’s personal card, reinforcing his recommendation of Duquesne as an accredited German agent.
Trinidad is a good jumping-off place into the far tropics, and it is quite possible that as Ashton said Duquesne disappeared into the interior of Brazil, and “explored the unknown regions of Brazil and the Amazon.” It is not hard to find unknown regions of Brazil within a few miles of the coast. He probably did not penetrate far into the interior, for in January of 1916, he showed up in lower Brazil.
He emerged from the interior as a valiant explorer, preceded by native carriers whom he had hired to transport his precious movie-film. As he approached the port of Bahia Duquesne’s personality underwent a perceptible change. Duquesne suddenly became George Fordham. Among his papers we found an application for shipment by a Brazilian broker which read as follows:
“Honorable Superintendent.
“Francisco Figuerado requests a permit to ship for New York via steamer Verdi to sail on January 28, 1916, a case as described below:
“Bahia, January 27, 1916.
“Raul E. de Oliveira, Custom House Broker.
“1 case weighing 80 kilos 00$500
“One case of potter’s earth in dust (samples)”
“Bahia, January 27, 1916.
“Raul E. de Oliveira, Custom House Broker.
“1 case weighing 80 kilos 00$500
“One case of potter’s earth in dust (samples)”