German man Wilhelm Esser suspected of spying and arrested by American authorities according to the Dutch newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 10 March 1908

An item reported that  at New York the German Wilhelm Esser of Köln was arrested suspected of spying. The authorities believed that he was involved in a conspiracy to sell secret information dealing with warships built by American naval shipyards to governments abroad. Although he appeared for court he still did not confess what was expected to happen soon. It was stated that he was linked to the German Imperial navy.