[19] He then worked briefly in the radio research institute before being recruited by the OGPU, a predecessor of the KGB, in May 1927. Donovan traveled to the Soviet embassy in East Berlin to negotiate the exchange, and on February 10, 1962, the two prisoners crossed paths as they were released on the Glienicke Bridge between East and West Germany. [4] The other prisoner was Kurt Ponger, an Austrian who had been sentenced for conspiracy to commit espionage. In 1962, he was. [23], Despite his foreign birth and the accusation that his brother-in-law was a Trotskyist, Fisher narrowly escaped the Great Purge. Fisher was born and grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North of England in the United Kingdom to Russian migr parents. FBI mugshot of William August Fisher, a.k.a. The newsboy rested this coin, a nickel, on the middle finger of his hand. On November 15, 1957, Brooklyn judge Mortimer W. Byers sentenced Soviet spy Rudolf Abel to consecutive terms of 30, 10, and 5 years in prison and fined him $3,000. There were not enough. Mark also sent Hayhanen on trips alone. Hayhanen described Mark as about 50 years old or possibly older; approximately five feet ten inches tall; thin gray hair; and medium build. 39. Following his family's return to Russia in 1921, Fisher joined the Komsomol, the Communist Party youth organization, and worked as a translator. In April 1957 (the same month Hayhanen boarded a ship for Europe under instructions to return to Moscow), Goldfus had told a few persons in the Fulton Street building that he was going South on a seven-week vacation. Emil Goldfus was Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, a brilliant Soviet spy who was fluent in at least five languages and an expert at the technical requirements of espionage. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. [27][29] The Volunteer network grew to include "Aden" and "Serb", nuclear physicists contacted by Hall, and "Silver". It read: 1. During the Cold War, Soviet spies worked together in the United States without revealing their names or addresses to each other, a precaution in the event that one was caught or, like Hayhanen, defected. [10] Having been adopted as a protg by Pavel Sudoplatov, he took part in Operation Scherhorn ( , Operatsiya Berezino) in August 1944. The Cohens were quickly spirited to Mexico before moving on to Moscow. The CIA turned Hayhanen over to the FBI to investigate the claims. According to the lieutenant general of the Foreign Intelligence V. G. Pavlov: The very first chapter of the novel, called The Shield and the Sword, aroused categorical objections from me and R. I. Abel. Just before their transfer, Frederic Pryoran American student held by East German authorities since August 1961was released to American authorities at another border checkpoint. They contained shortwave radios, cipher pads, cameras and film for producing microdots, a hollow shaving brush, cuff links, and numerous other trick containers. [45] Fisher, unsuspecting, advised Hyhnen to leave the U.S. immediately to avoid FBI surveillance and handed him $200 for travel expenses. Why does the Government what James Donovan to negotiate the Trade? Although he refused to discuss his intelligence activities, the photo studio and hotel room which he occupied were virtual museums of modern espionage equipment. I left Estonia for Finland in June 1943, and have resided here for the reason that I have no funds with which to pay my transportation to the United States.. Using the alias Emil Goldfus, he set up an artist's studio. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. However, on 21 October 1952, as instructed by Moscow, Reino Hyhnen left a thumbtack on a signpost in New York's Central Park. TRANSMIT INSERTIONS SEPARATELY.5. Two separate coins obviously had been used in making this trick 50 Markka piece. During this period, FBI agents discreetly tied together the loose ends of the investigation, matters which had to be resolved before this Russian intelligence officer could be taken into custody. Fisher, however, was arrested before he could adopt his new identity and leave the United States. Now I need your help.. Can you break this dollar bill for me?. Verified answer. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The detective had received his information from another police officer whose daughter was acquainted with the newsboy. Conspiracy to transmit defense information to the Soviet Union 30 years imprisonment; Conspiracy to obtain defense information 10 years imprisonment; Conspiracy to act in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notification to the Secretary of State 5 years imprisonment. For the first time Abel showed himself to the general public in 1968, when he addressed his compatriots with an introductory speech to the film. Goldfus's birth certificate was obtained by the NKVD at the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the Centre would collect identity documents from International Brigades members for use in espionage operations. In about 1948 he illegally entered the United States and, under the name of Emil R. Goldfus, lived for some time as an artist and photographer in a Brooklyn studio apartment, where he concealed shortwave-radio transmitting and receiving equipment. Abel returned to Moscow, where he was forced into retirement by the KGB, who feared that during his five years of captivity U.S. authorities had convinced him to become a double agent. Ill ask the people across the hall, he said. He did, however, remember being taken to a storage room in Brooklyn by his superior, whom he knew as Mark. The FBI tracked down the storage room and found it was rented by one Emil R. Goldfus, an artist and photographer who had a studio in Brooklyn Heights. He moved to Russia in the 1920s, and served in the Soviet military before undertaking foreign service as a radio operator in Soviet intelligence in the late 1920s and early 30s. He had arrived in the United States in October 1916 and became a naturalized American citizen at Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 30, 1930. However the report never arrived. On May 5, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announced that the American spy aircraft had been shot down and two days later revealed that Powers was alive and well and had confessed to being on an intelligence mission for the CIA. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Pablo Escobar. One of the nations most fascinatingand ultimately significantspy cases began in the summer of 1953, when a Brooklyn newspaper boy dropped a nickel he had just earned. FBI Laboratory experts examined this Finnish coin on May 17, 1957. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Among the tenants was one Emil R. Goldfus, a photographer who had operated a studio on the fifth floor since January, 1954and who also had formerly rented a fifth-floor storage room there. Why? [65], Fisher served just over four years of his sentence. In a jealous rage, Cain murdered Abel. I do recall, however, that we used the code name `Quebec in referring to him and that he was recruited for Soviet intelligence work while in Moscow., (An intensive investigation was launched to identify and locate Quebec. It quickly produced results when, in examining a hollow piece of steel from Hayhanens home, the FBI Laboratory discovered a piece of microfilm less than one-inch square. Hyhnen, Fisher's former assistant, testified against him at the trial. In 1962, he was released to the Soviet Union in exchange for captured U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers. Donovan successfully argued against the death penalty for "Colonel Abel" by suggesting he could be used for a future prisoner exchange with the Soviet Union. [2][39][40] Over time his artistic technique improved and he became a competent painter, though he disliked abstract painting, preferring more conventional styles. He was, however, able to tell the FBI about Fisher's studio and its location. After decorated service as an intelligence operative during World War II, Abel assumed a false identity and entered an East German refugee camp where he successfully applied for the right to immigrate to Canada. "Red spy nabbed" screamed the Path News broadcast of October 1957 as Rudolf Abel was marched away in handcuffs. [70] Fisher, who was a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer on 15 November 1971. [2] The prosecution failed to find any other alleged members of Fisher's spy network, if there were any. Argued February 24-25, 1959. From the latter part of August 1952 until April 1954, he had served as the first secretary to the Soviet United Nations Delegation in New York. He later served in an instructional role before taking part in intelligence operations against the Germans during World War II. Full case name. Yes, they remembered Jimmy; but, if either had given him a hollow nickel, it was entirely unintentional. His primary objective was to identify anti-Soviet elements among the intelligentsia. Abel reported to command and asked evacuation of the guy. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [14], Fisher became an apprentice draughtsman at Swan Hunter, Wallsend, and attended evening classes at Rutherford College before being accepted into London University in 1920. He refused to cooperate at all. Khrushchev also canceled an invitation for Eisenhower to visit the USSR. Indicted as a Russian spy, Colonel Abel was tried in federal court at New York City during October 1957. [51], Fisher was then flown to the Federal Alien Detention Facility in McAllen, Texas, and held there for six weeks. Verified questions. In keeping with instructions contained in a message he received from Soviet officials, Hayhanen was met by Mark at a movie theater in Flushing, Long Island, during the late summer of 1954. In 1948, a well-trained Soviet intelligence agent arrived in the United States. [27] The real Goldfus had died at only 14 months, having been born on August 2, 1902, in New York. The real Andrew Kayotis was Lithuanian born and had become an American citizen after migrating to the United States. business math. He died in 1971 at the age of 68. Rudolf Abel, was convicted of espionage in the United States in 1957 and later exchanged for imprisoned American Francis Gary Powers. FOR ORGANIZATION OF COVER, WE GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO TRANSMIT TO YOU THREE THOUSAND IN LOCAL (CURRENCY). In his five years in prison, Abel kept his silence, but the latter prophecy came true in 1962 when he was exchanged for Powers in Berlin. Corrections? The bolt was found on May 15, 1957. In October 1948, using a Soviet passport, he travelled from Leningradsky Station to Warsaw. He died in 1971. The first showed that he was Emil R. Goldfus, born August 2, 1902 in New York City. Forced to bail out at 15,000 feet, he survived the parachute jump but was promptly arrested by Soviet authorities. At the time he related this information to FBI agents in May 1957, Hayhanen could not remember the Army sergeants name. In Moscow, however, plans were being made for a new Eugene Maki, one thoroughly grounded in Soviet intelligence techniques, to enter the scene. He passed America's atomic secrets to the KGB. They also made several short trips together to Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Albany, Greenwich, and other communities in the eastern part of the United States. The KGB Center, with the help of KGB's Ottawa resident, set about procuring two new passports for Fisher in the names of Robert Callan and Vasili Dzogol, but this process would take time. [43], By early 1957, Fisher had lost patience with Hyhnen and demanded that Moscow recall his deputy. The proprietors of novelty stores and related business establishments in the New York vicinity were contacted. From time to time the man got up, walked around, and eventually left. He served as a case officer for the "Volunteer" spy network, which was tasked with relaying atomic secrets, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1949. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials at the Paris embassy did not find Hyhnen's story credible. According to the second one, he was Martin Collins, born June 2, 1897, also in New York. Frederic LeRoy Pryor (April 23, 1933 - September 2, 2019) was an American economist. [2][37][38], Late in 1953, Fisher moved to Brooklyn and rented a room in a boarding house on Hicks Street. Letters subsequently received from him indicated that he was in a Lithuanian hospital. From July 1949 to October 1952, Hayhanen resided in Finland and established his identity as the American-born Eugene Maki. From 1953 to 1957, though every effort was made to decipher the microphotograph, the FBI was unable to solve the mystery. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Theodore "Ted" Hall (codenamed "MLAD"), a physicist, was the most important agent in the network in 1945, passing atomic secrets from Los Alamos. Fisher said nothing to the FBI and, after spending twenty-three minutes staring at Fisher, the FBI agents called in the waiting Immigration and Naturalization Service officers who arrested Fisher and detained him under section 242 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Despite his modest background, Hayhanen was an honor student and, in 1939, obtained the equivalent of a certificate to teach high school. He described Mikhail as probably between 40 and 50 years old; medium build; long, thin nose; dark hair; and about five feet, nine inches tall. [7] While living in the United Kingdom, Fisher's father, a keen Bolshevik, took part in gunrunning, shipping arms from northeast England to Russia's Baltic coast. If thats `Mark, hell return, they correctly surmised. FBI agents were convinced he fit the description of "MARK". And both coins had a small hole in one printed letter so that a sharp-pointed instrument, such as a needle, could be used to open them. He adopted his alias when arrested on charges of conspiracy by the FBI in 1957. Among the government witnesses to testify against him was his former trusted espionage assistant, Lieutenant Colonel Reino Hayhanen. His parents were peasants. [53] During this period Fisher stated that his "real" name was Rudolf Ivanovich Abel and that he was a Soviet citizen, although he refused to discuss his intelligence activities. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Please check.. Inside was a tiny photograph, showing a series of numbers too small to read. Thats Mikhail.. Fisher was publicly feted a hero upon his return to the Soviet Union. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Rudolf Abel, Birth Year: 1903, Birth date: July 11, 1903, Birth City: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Birth Country: England. The lights went out at 11:52 p.m., and a man who appeared to generally fit the description of Mark stepped into the darkness outside the building. Hayhanen became a respected expert in Finnish intelligence matters and in May 1943 was accepted into membership in the Soviet Communist Party. While his KGB training continued, Hayhanen worked as a mechanic in the City of Valga, Estonia. [4] He served just over four years of his sentence before he was exchanged for captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. Omissions? In the spring of 1955, Fisher and Hyhnen visited Bear Mountain Park, and buried $5,000, (equivalent to $50,578 in 2021), destined for the wife of the Soviet spy Morton Sobell, who in 1951 was sentenced to thirty years in jail. Yet, the relentless search to identify the person who had brought the hollow nickel to New York, as well as the person for whom the coded message was intended, continued. The detective, in turn, gave the coin to the FBI. Following his arrival in New York on May 10, 1957, Hayhanen was given a thorough physical examination, suitable quarters were found for him, and arrangements were made for him to be interviewed by FBI agents. The microfilm bore a typewritten message which identified Quebec as Army sergeant Roy Rhodes and stated the Soviet agents had recruited him in January 1952. All Rights Reserved. [71], Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel on a 1990 USSR commemorative stamp. Less than three weeks later, acting on Hyhnen's information, surveillance was established near Fisher's photo studio. What happened to Rudolf Abel after the exchange? Cain then became a fugitive because his brother's innocent blood put a . They could shed no light on the case. Forced into retirement in 1971, he died of lung cancer on November 15 of that year. After handing back Kayotis's passport and documents, Fisher assumed the name Goldfus. The latter must have "felt it" - . Rudolf Abel was born William August Fisher on July 11, 1903, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [30] Fisher spent most of his first year organizing his network. While efforts were being made to decode the message on the microphotograph, FBI agents in New York launched an investigation to find the source of the hollow coin. President John F. Kennedy commuted Abels sentence, and, on February 10, 1962, in a ceremony on a bridge between West Berlin and East Germany (Potsdam), Abel was exchanged for Powers and Frederic L. Pryor, an American student who had been held without charge in East Germany since August 1961. The case, which had made international headlines and turned James Donovan into a public pariah, faded into obscurity. [2] In Fisher's New York hotel room the FBI found $4,000,[54][55] a hollow ebony block containing a 250-page Russian codebook, a hollow pencil containing encrypted messages on microfilm and a key to a safe-deposit box containing another $15,000 in cash. While in Moscow, Fisher informed his superiors of his dissatisfaction with Hyhnen. His parents Heinrich and Lyubov were Bolshevik supporters from Russia, and young Fisher helped his father by distributing "Hands Off Russia" literature during World War I. [37], After arriving in New York, Hyhnen spent the next two years establishing his identity. spies," is based on the story of rudolf abel, arrested in new york city, convicted, and exchanged for u.s. biplane pilot. [27] Kayotis had applied for and received a visa to visit the Soviet Union. Back in the Soviet Union, he lectured on his experiences. [45] Escape was complicated because, if "MARK" had been compromised by Hyhnen, Fisher's other identities could have been compromised as well. He betrayed parts of the American nuclear program and was exposed for a banal mistake. With this data, the FBI Laboratory succeeded in breaking through the curtain of mystery which surrounded the coded message. of american history tv, the brooklyn historical society host several experts on the trial. To exchange messages and intelligence data, they used dead dropsinconspicuous hiding placesin the New York area. On February 10, 1962 at around 8:50 a . While it is not known for certain where Fisher went or what he did, it is believed he travelled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, the collection point for stolen diagrams from the Manhattan Project. The FBI first became aware of Abel's activities in 1953, when Abel's incompetent junior colleague Reino Hayhanen carelessly spent a hollow nickel that ended up in the hands of a paperboy. He occupied himself with painting, learning silk-screening, playing chess, and writing logarithmic tables for the sheer enjoyment of it. On July 3, 1951, Hayhanenthen living in Turku, Finlandvisited the United States Legation in Helsinki. He was sent to the federal penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. Among the items he had been supplied by the Soviets were hollow pens, pencils, screws, batteries, and coinsin some instances magnetized so they would adhere to metal objects. The Lord respected Abel's sacrifice but did not respect that offered by Cain. The Hollow Nickel Case (or the Hollow Coin) was the FBI investigation that grew out of the discovery of a container disguised as a U.S. coin and containing a coded message, eventually found to concern espionage activities of William August Fisher ( a.k.a. However, the Soviets retained his passport, which Fisher eventually used. Svirin, however, had returned to Moscow two years previously. [68] For the sake of its own reputation it suited the KGB to portray "Abel's" nine years of being an undetected agent in the United States as a triumph by a dedicated NKVD member. Kayotis had been in poor health and died while visiting relatives in Vilnius, Lithuania. WE CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF YOUR LETTER TO THE ADDRESS `V REPEAT V AND THE READING OF LETTER NUMBER 1.2. In Washington, each effort to decipher the microphotograph met with failure. On May 16, leaders of the United States, the USSR, Britain, and France met in Paris for a long-awaited summit meeting. On February 10, 1962, American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers is released by the Soviets in exchange for Soviet Colonel Rudolf Abel, a senior KGB spy who was caught in the United States five. He adopted his alias when arrested on charges of conspiracy by the FBI in 1957. Abel returned to Moscow, where he was forced into retirement by the KGB, who feared that during his five years of captivity U.S. authorities had convinced him to become a double agent. Count One (Conspiracy to transmit defense information to the Soviet Union), 30 years imprisonment. The hollow nickel found by the Brooklyn newspaper boy, The coded message contained in the hollow nickel. The real Andrew Kayotis, believed to have died in a Lithuanian hospital, was born in Lithuania on October 10, 1895. He occasionally met with Reino Hyhnen, another Soviet agent residing in New York. Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? It fell apart! It was composed of copper-silver alloy, there being a shortage of nickel during World War II. There is absolutely no doubt about it. Arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on an alien warrant based upon his illegal entry into the United States and failure to register as an alien, Mark displayed a defiant attitude. Wait a moment and try again. Born William August Fisher on July 3, 1951, Hayhanenthen living in Turku, Finlandvisited United! York area officer whose daughter was acquainted with the newsboy rested this coin, a well-trained Soviet agent. Atlanta, Georgia novelty stores and related business establishments in the North of England the! 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