at it
might be worth while to stop the shipment of artillery munitions from
this country. . . . I imagined Jonnersen to be in the (German) secret
service."

After stating that he saw von Papen and Boy-Ed, and that neither would
have anything to do with him, apparently because suspicious of his
identity, 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?

A. Roughly speaking, $150 or $200.

Q. What would be the cost of making one and filling it with explosives?

A. About $250 each ... If they had given me money enough I should simply
have been able to block the shipping entirely.

Q. Do you mean you could have destroyed every ship that left the harbor
by means of those bombs?

A. I would have been able to stop so many that the authorities would not
have dared (to send out any ships).

It was proved during Fay's trial that his bomb was a practical device,
and that its forty pounds of explosive would sink any ship to which it
was attached.

Fay and his accomplices, Scholz and Daeche, were convicted of conspiracy
to attach explosive bombs to the rudders of vessels, with the intention
of wrecking the same when at sea, and were sentenced, on May 9, 1916, to
terms of eight, four and two years respectively, in the federal
penitentiary at Atlanta. Dr. Herbert Kienzle and Max Breitung, who
assisted Fay in procuring explosives, were indicted on the same charge.
Both were interned.

Another plan for disabling ships was suggested by a man who remained for
some time unknown. He called one day at the German Military Information
Bureau, maintained at 60 Wall Street by Captain von Papen, of the German
embass