Wilhelm von Brincken (May 27, 1881 â€" January 18, 1946), also known
as Wilhelm L. von Brincken, William Vaughn, William von Brinken and
William Vaughan, was a German diplomat and spy during World War I, who
would go on to become an American character actor of the silent and
sound film eras.Von Brincken was born in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein
on May 27, 1881. He was a reservist in the German Army, and he came to
the United States as a military attaché to their embassy in
Washington D.C., sometime around 1910. Once here he met his first
wife, Alice M Roedel; they married and would have two children: Carl
von Brincken (1911â€"1911) and Philip Morgan Roedel (christened Philip
Roedel von Brincken) (1913â€"1985). Carl died several hours after his
birth.Wilhelm Von Brinken made his debut acting in American films in
The Redemption of David Corson (1914).In 1915, he was transferred to
the west coast, and assigned to the consulate in San Francisco. While
working at the San Francisco consulate, he was arrested at the
beginning of World War I on espionage charges, due to his alleged
involvement in a bomb-plot with his co-conspirators, C.C. Crowley, who
worked at the German Consulate, and an agent of a German shipping
line, Robert Capelle. In February 1916, he was indicted, along with
dozens of others, including the German Consul General and his
vice-Consul, Franz Bopp and Baron E.H. von Schack, respectively. Von
Brincken was convicted and sentenced to serve two years in prison in
the Hinduâ€"German Conspiracy Trial for plotting to foment an
insurrection against British colonial rule in India, this sentence to
run concurrently with a similar conviction for his alleged
participation in bomb and dynamiting plots against the government of
Canada. Von Brincken served his two-year sentence at Alcatraz Prison
and McNeil Island Penitentiary.
as Wilhelm L. von Brincken, William Vaughn, William von Brinken and
William Vaughan, was a German diplomat and spy during World War I, who
would go on to become an American character actor of the silent and
sound film eras.Von Brincken was born in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein
on May 27, 1881. He was a reservist in the German Army, and he came to
the United States as a military attaché to their embassy in
Washington D.C., sometime around 1910. Once here he met his first
wife, Alice M Roedel; they married and would have two children: Carl
von Brincken (1911â€"1911) and Philip Morgan Roedel (christened Philip
Roedel von Brincken) (1913â€"1985). Carl died several hours after his
birth.Wilhelm Von Brinken made his debut acting in American films in
The Redemption of David Corson (1914).In 1915, he was transferred to
the west coast, and assigned to the consulate in San Francisco. While
working at the San Francisco consulate, he was arrested at the
beginning of World War I on espionage charges, due to his alleged
involvement in a bomb-plot with his co-conspirators, C.C. Crowley, who
worked at the German Consulate, and an agent of a German shipping
line, Robert Capelle. In February 1916, he was indicted, along with
dozens of others, including the German Consul General and his
vice-Consul, Franz Bopp and Baron E.H. von Schack, respectively. Von
Brincken was convicted and sentenced to serve two years in prison in
the Hinduâ€"German Conspiracy Trial for plotting to foment an
insurrection against British colonial rule in India, this sentence to
run concurrently with a similar conviction for his alleged
participation in bomb and dynamiting plots against the government of
Canada. Von Brincken served his two-year sentence at Alcatraz Prison
and McNeil Island Penitentiary.
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