Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-24
BOER SPIES IN LONDON.
England Was Easier After Detectives
Found PrO-BOer American.
From the London Daily Mail.


The officers of the special branch of the
criminal investigation department at Scot
land Yard are. and have been for some time
past. actively engaged in keeping under OBJ
servation Boer agents and spies at work
in London.
After the invasion of Natal many of these
men thought it prudent to shift their quar-
tiers to Paris, Brussels Berlin, but some
remained and pursuing Investigations at
WOolwich and other military centers with a
holiness and audacity not reconci,able with
a knowledge that their every movement is
watched.
Not since the days when the refugee for
eigner, taking advantage of our 'open
DOOR" made London the headquarters of
anarchism has there been such activity in
the department of which Chief Inspector
Melville is the head at the present time.
There is no show of increased vigilance, but
the duties entaiied have taken wide range
involving unremitting vigilance on the part
of the officers engaged
OF the results already achieved it would
of course, be undesirable to make more
than a passing reference. The Boer lega-
ton in Brussels is constantly in touch with
its agents in London, and every intrigue
and device resorted to is within the knowl-
edge of our authorities. The spies have
shown a good deal of cuteneSS in not in
trusting their communications to the post
office Even the code telegram has no at
traction for them. 1t is not far cry to
Brussels. and even if the police did inter-
cept them, a silent tongue would be insult
| ficient to establish their guilt. for they
\ have natural objection to be found in the
possession of discriminating documents.
The time may come when it viii be neces-
I Sary to discuss the association of certain
members of parliament with men who are
| the avowed enemies of England in the pres
| ent struggle. Should this be so, some inter-
- -,
| the records of Scotland Yard and of the
/ detective department of Dublin Castle will
| supply information for which the public Is
unprepared at the present moment.
| An incident at Woolwich will serve to
show the methods adopted to circumvent
| the Boer spying. A Daily Mail representa-
\ tive was opposite the arsenal, when a typ
| ically dressed artisan passed close to him,
and. avoiding Involuntary glance of rec
| ognition. entered the "four-ale' bar of an
| adjoining public house, then thronged with
men who had left the arsenal. The 'arti-
| SAN a well-known detective officer
| who had assumed that disguise for the
/ time being.
Admission to the arsenal grounds is now
\ regulated with a strictpess hitherto I'M
| known. This precaution is regarded as nee
| essary, owing to the desire for information
| evinced at the Boer legation in Brussels.
! Scotland Yard has been equal to the occa-
| sion. and a good many inquiries made at
| Woolwich and elsewhere have been reward
| ed with comic opera results.
| An American who was unable to disguise
| his pro-Boer procivities took up his quar-
1 tiers recently in hote' near Fleet street
| He was suspected of being a Boer agent.
| One morning he made the acquaintance at
| breakfast of a gentleman of the same po-
/ litical views as himself. who happened to
| occupy the bed room next to his.
| There was an exchange of condolences
| and 1t took the American pro-Boer the best
/ part of week to discover that his newly
/ made acquaintance was detective. Then
\ he suddenly went in search OF pleasure
| elsewhere.