Illinois Nazi or Peoria prankster? The mysterious case of a short-lived radio station

• In May 1941, a federal grand jury indicted a former Bradley student
• He claimed his radio transmissions were all "in fun."
• The FCC "could not overlook the seriousness of the effects of his broadcasts."

Ask Dean is a Journal Star column focusing on all things Peoria: its history, mysteries, quirks and culture. Send your questions to dmuellerleile@pjstar.com.

Question: I received a link from my cousin, and wonder if it's a true story. The video is about 8 minutes long. Peoria is featured about halfway through as the location of a "Hitler" radio station broadcasting from a house on Sheridan Road. — Norman Ricca

Answer: Remarkably, deep dives into archives confirm the video account is accurate, if incomplete — as are contemporary, nationwide newspaper articles.

Befitting a tale of alleged attempted espionage, reports of the case are convoluted. Furthermore, the suspected Illinois Nazi — a "brilliant" former Bradley college student — may have been merely a prankster, or pre-internet troll. He claimed his transmissions were all "in fun."

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The video in question is titled "How The FCC Hunted The Mystery 'Hitler' Station."

The video was posted on the Ringway Manchester YouTube channel. It credits the original story to one Tom Kneitel, who wrote an article in Popular Communications magazine in 1983 whose headline began "The Amazing 17-Day Career Of The 'Heil Hitler' Radio Station." A story illustration depicted a young man with an Adolf Hitler mustache and a swastika armband at a transmitter.

Popular Communications was a radio-centric magazine published from 1982 to 2013. It catered to hobbyists, and among its topics were pirate radio and military transmissions.

From the magazine

The 1983 story recounted how, in April 1941, as World War II raged in Europe and with the United States "on the brink of war with the Germans," a "mysterious communications station took to the airwaves."

Identifying himself only as "Fritz," the story said, the operator would punctuate his transmissions with shouts of "Heil Hitler!" He also "liked to play recordings of German military music" and Hitler speeches. Fritz claimed to be a member of an advance unit of a "German Army of Occupation" and was "attempting to solicit military information" from stations in the U.S. Army networks.

With "rumors of German espionage agents and saboteurs rampant," federal agents went on a "frantic chase" to discover the station's location and identify its operator. By April 21, "the government's direction finding efforts had pinpointed the general area of Peoria, Illinois." FCC mobile direction-finding units soon were cruising the streets of Peoria, the story said. On April 23, "they drove up North Sheridan Road and stopped near the home of Charles W. Johnson." The FCC units "stood by as the FBI checked out what Mr. Johnson was all about."

On April 30, the story said, "a task force of federal agents and local police broke in on Johnson while he was engaged in communications with an Army station." Johnson tried but failed to destroy the transmitter. "He described himself as a senior student in electrical engineering at an area institute." Arrested and held on $2,000 bond, Johnson was brought before a grand jury, where he was indicted for allegedly violating the Communications Act. "Thus ended the strange existence of Fritz and the 'Heil Hitler Station.'"

Frustratingly, thus also ended the Popular Communications account of the charges brought against Johnson. The story provided no resolution to the case.

Is the magazine account trustworthy?

From the archives

Newspapers across the nation published brief wire reports on the developing story. Illinois papers provided additional confirmation, and more detail.

The fullest account appears to have been from the Peoria Journal-Transcript. A front-page centerpiece story on May 1, 1941, was headlined, "U. S. Officers Charge Peorian Operated Unlicensed Radio Set To Contact Federal Stations And Pose As Nazi Foreign Agent." The locally written story confirmed much of the Popular Communications story.

The Journal-Transcript story said Charles W. Johnson, 21, was a former Bradley college student residing at 2306 N. Sheridan Road in Peoria. His arrest culminated three weeks of sleuthing by FCC "radio detectives" in search of a "Nazi agent in quest of military secrets."

The FCC, the story said, was "inclined to believe young Johnson's references to himself as a Nazi agent were in the nature of jokes," but "could not overlook the seriousness of the effects of his broadcasts."

The story said Johnson admitted operating the transmitter and receiver and even praised the federal agents on their successful detective work, saying, "You fellows certainly worked fast."

Johnson reportedly told an FCC supervisor, "I was just having fun." He was reported to have completed three years of study in electrical engineering at Bradley and to have been said by professors to be "brilliant."

Also on May 1, 1941, a front-page Associated Press wire story in the Illinois State Register said Johnson "was free today on $2,000 bond pending grand jury action."

"Charged with violating the federal communications act, Charles W. Johnson, 21, waived preliminary hearing when arraigned yesterday. ... His father, Charles O. Johnson, an insurance executive, furnished the bond."

The story confirmed that "Fritz" often signed off with a "Heil Hitler" and "claimed on the air to be a cryptographer for a signal unit in a German army of occupation."

"His general procedure was to broadcast that he was a foreign agent and to attempt to engage in communications between United States government stations. In so doing, he declared that he was relaying information from foreign agents," the article said.

The story said Johnson "would be prosecuted vigorously as an example in view of the alleged interference with government radio operators and the expense involved in tracking down the transmitter," but added that "authorities viewed his activities as those of a practical joker rather than as a German agent."

Indeed, on May 3, 1941, the Illinois State Journal published a front-page standalone photo of the presumable prankster. The overline read, "WRONG NUMBER." The caption read: "Charles W. Johnson, 21, (above), honor senior in a Peoria school, picked wrong wave length for his 'fun.' Youth, an unlicensed radio operator, broke in on government frequencies posing as Nazi agent. He is being held by federal authorities and faces $10,000 fine and two years in jail." The picture was credited to Acme Telephoto.

One week later, the Illinois State Register ran a one-paragraph brief from the AP. Headlined "ARRAIGNMENT POSTPONED," the item read: "PEORIA, Ill., May 10.—(AP)— The scheduled arraignment in federal court of Charles W. Johnson, 21, electrical engineering student, on charges of operating a broadcasting station without a license and operating an unlicensed transmitter, was continued to May 26. Johnson, who on May 1 was indicted by a federal grand jury, was arrested by federal communications commission agents last month. They said he represented himself in unscheduled broadcasts as a nazi agent named 'Fritz.' He said it was 'all in fun.' Johnson is at liberty on $2,000 bond."

This report updated the Popular Communications magazine story, which ended with Johnson's indictment. Frustratingly, it also ended archival newspaper accounts of the case.

The mystery remains

The YouTube video post drew over 500 comments, many seeking additional information. None was provided.

The fate of Charles W. Johnson of North Sheridan Road in Peoria remains unclear. No record could be found of the resolution of the case of the alleged Illinois Nazi, Hitler radio broadcaster, German agent or precocious prankster.

Whether it's a person, place or product, send your "Whatever happened to ...?" and "Wasn't there a ...?" questions, comments and suggestions to dmuellerleile@pjstar.com. Please put ASK DEAN in the subject line.