Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-20
THE EXECUTION aF SPIES.
The Escape of the Physician who
Wrote the Secrets of England In
Lemon Juice The Execution of
Lieutenant Harth in Paris.


Lemon Juice The Execution OF
Lieutenant Harth in Paris.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.l
The execution ofa spy is happily such
rare occurrence in the present day that
the shooting of Lieutenant Har.h in Paris
on Saturday last reads more like a page
out Of romance than reality; yet we
have before now in England found it me-
cessary to sentence spies to death. On
the first Of June, 1853, DR.. Florence
Hensey was tried at the court o:
Kings Bench in Westminster Hall on
an indictment for high treason. It ap-
peared in the course Of this trial that
soon after the declaration of war in 1856
he became a pensioner to France and
agreed for 100 guineas year to give the
best intelligence he could Of the state OF
affairs in this kingdom. But difference
afterward arising about his salary, which
he represented as too small, consid ering,
as he urged that he belonged to club
in the Strand from which he could gain
great intelligence, and where they al
ways drank French wine at dinner" the
correspondence was discontinued until
January, 1857, when it was agreed that
the doctor should receive 20 guineas a
month on condition of sending intelli-
gence every post, but that he should for
felt a guinea for every omission.
He received, however, no more than
one payment, the ereason given being that
his. Intelligence being nothing but ex-
tracts from newspapers. His plan was
to write a common letter in ink, and be-
tween each line the secrets Of England
in lemon juice. 1t happened, however,
that Dr. Hensey had brother Jesuit,
and chaplain and secretary to the Span
ish Ambassador at the Hague, from whom
our resident at that court had gained a
knowledge of some secrets relating to
England even before he had received any
account thereof from his own court
This led to inquiry, and to twenty-nine
of DIR. Hensey letters being stopped.
From these letters it appears that he
gave the French the first account of
Admiral Boscawen's sailing to North
America, and of the taking of the Abode
and Lys, also of the sailing of every
fleet and its destination, and of the diff
culties relating TO raising money, etc.
For this offense he was sentenced by
Lord Chief Justice Mansfield to be
hanged drawn and quartered at Tyburn
The sentence, however, was never carried
into effect; for, after several reprieves,
the doctor pleaded his Majesty's par
don at the bar of the court Of King s
Bench, on the 9th of November, 1859 it
being understood that since his trial he
had made important revelations.
In 1908 Mr., Hammond, formerly pilot
of the Saturn, Frenchman by birth,
but for many years in receipt of pen
sion of ESQ per annum from the British
Government for information he obtained
for them, was arrested in France as a
spy, and shot by order of the French
Government. He had been sent from
the Saturn on board LAigle, Captain
Wolfe, to reconnoiter the French coast.
He landed at q port near Lorient, and
had been on shore twelve days. He was
preparing to come off on boat when he
was arrested by two custom-house Off
GERS. One report stated that the unfor-
tunate spy was beheaded and his body
dragged through the streets by the popu-
lace.
The Prussian spy, Lieutenant Harth,
was shot on Saturday morning in the
great square of Ecole Militaire. Gen.
Trochu thought of publicly announcing
the hour fixed for the execution, but, on
consideration, it was deemed better not
to attract crowd to the spectacle. At
five o'clock in the morning, Lieutenant
Harth was informed by M. Ruth, Pro-
testant clergyman of Lille, that his last
hour had come. A few minutes after
ward the prisoner was placedin cellular
carriage, and guarded by twelve gem
darmes, was taken to the Ecole Militare,
A considerable body of troops of all
arms-grenadiers lancers, guides and
cuirassiers-was drawn up on the parade
ground. The colonel-commandant apd
major and captain of the staff were
present.
When Harth got out of the cellular
carriage he noticed the troops, and
bowed to them several times. A delay
of quarter or half an hour occurred,
as the prisoner arrived ON the ground at
5:45, and the execution was ordered for
six precisely. He was placed with his
back to wall in a sort of recess in the
barrack-yard used for shoeing horses.
The firing party consisted of two SER
geants, two corporals and six soldiers Of
the Forty-second regiment. Two non
commissioned officers with loaded rifles
were stationed behind the peloton as a
reserve in case OF need.
Harth begged at FIRST that bis hands
might not be tied, and that his eyes
might not be bandaged; but he ultimate
ly consented. He also asked that as a
soldier, he might be allowed to give the
word of command to fire. The registrar
of the court-martial read the sentence Of
death, nnd during a momentary pause,
the prisoner in Q 'brm VOICE cried, " Pre-
septl fire" But this was not the signal
which the firing party had been told to
wait for. r-t
The last syllable for the judgment had
scarcely been read ybep the officer com
manding the peloton drew his sword.
Then the soldiers put their rifles to their
shoulders Goue is the French word for
present., and took deliberate aim. The
officer lowered his sword, and in an in
siaat HaEtb fell, several bullets striking
him almost ip the same place, and max
ing an enormous hole ~ lbs region Of
the heart Nevertheless, although the
prisoner was almost quite dead, one Of
the sergeants in waiting came up to the
corpse and lodged bullet in his head.
The body, with the clothes on just as the
Sman fell, was placed 10 2 coffin and
taken to the Mont Parnasse cemetery
Cor interment.
The Mother Of Napoleon i.