Business career
In Detroit he became the President of the Marine City Salt company. He was also elected secretary of the local Deutcherbund.
Albert Kaltschmidt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert Carl Kaltschmidt 1871 |
| Occupation | Saboteur |
| Known for | Leader of Pro-Imperial German sabotage group |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy |
| Criminal penalty |
|
| Imprisoned at | United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth |
Albert Kaltschmidt was a German immigrant who became a wealthy industrialist in the United States. During World War I, he was the leader of a pro-German Empire group. This lone wolf group (Independent of Imperial Germany's spy network) was able to bomb a Canadian factory in 1915. He was arrested for an attempt to bomb Detroit factories, and was convicted of conspiracy in 1917. Kaltschmidt spent nearly four years in prison, after which he was deported.
In Detroit he became the President of the Marine City Salt company. He was also elected secretary of the local Deutcherbund.
In May 1915 he called a meeting of fellow pro-Germans including Walter Scholz, Charles F. Respa, and his brother-in-law Carl Schmidt. There he told those assembled that it was their duty to the Fatherland to sabotage munition production that was being sent to Allied nations fighting the Central Powers. [1] On June 21, 1915, Kaltschmidt was able to connect gave Charles F. Respa 156 sticks of dynamite and introduced him to a night watchman, William Lefler, who was employed as security at the Peabody Overall Co factory in Walkerville, Ontario. [2]
On June 21, 1915, Respa was able to bomb the Peabody factory, but a bomb placed at the Windsor Armoury failed to explode, saving the lives of 200 soldiers who were stationed there. On March 7, 1916, Respa was sentenced to life imprisonment. [3] In 1917, ring leader and President of the Marine City Salt company, Albert Kaltschmidt, faced charges in America for attempting to bomb the Detroit Screw Works. Others charged were William M. Jarosh, Richard Herman, and Fritz A. Neef, general manager of the Eismann Magneto company. [4]
Detroit Judge Arthur J. Tuttle sentenced Albert Kaltschmidt to four years in Leavenworth, and $20,000 fine ($456,800 in 2023). [5] His co-conspirators were also sentenced to:
Kaltschmidt was released from prison in February 1921, after which he was deported. [6] In 1927, he was allowed to return for two months for business purposes. At the end of his two months, however, Kaltschmidt failed to report to federal officials. An article by the Detroit Free Press reported that, "Quicker than you could bat an eye, he was arrested by Government agents and booted out of the country." [7]
Notes
References
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