The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-17
London Hotel Waiter Offers to
Sell Plans of Nearly a Hun
dred Fortifications.
EXPOSURE OF PARIS PAPER.
Fragola Pietro Explains That he
Found Papers Among Effects
of Italian Adventures Who
Deserted Him.

Paris. May Is-The Mathis London cor
resrc nient. having obtained nearly a
hurdred authentic plans NJ the fortifca-
lions al Toulon. besides numerous other
CON promising documents. that paper this
MOI ming resins the publication OF the his
tory OF a treason affair which seems like
ly TO exceed in Importance the cffenses
with which Captain Dreyfus was charged.
on April q the correspondent received
a letter written in n queer semiFrench.
semi-Italian jargan and signed 'Fragola
Pietro." telling him that the writer. who
was employed at hotel. had been acting
as guide TO two persons who had come
TO london 10 sell large parcel OF dCcu-
ments Of the highest Importance concern
ing French naval defenses. The letter
stated that the men had gone TO Brus-
sells. leaving the writer penniless. He.
therefore. wanted TO negotiate for the
;rsas:e- OF certain documents. but was
unwilling TO treat direct with the French
Government. preferring to deal with the
Mafin or some other newspaper.
MAKES APPOINTMENT.
The correspondent thought the letter
was probably begging trick. bur replied,
addressing his answer to the Post Office,
TO be called for. and making an appoint
ment. which Fragola duly kept. Fragola
told the following story:
He was formerly, he said. employed in
the War Ministry in Rome. but became
compromised in case of espionage and
was sentenced TO six months imprison-
ment- Subsequently he came to London.
living from hand to mouth. Secondly, he
had acted as guide and secretary TO two
men Of Italian origin. with one of whom.
a naturalized French citizen, he had for
merly been acquainted at the War Minis
try AT Rome. Both OF these men, Fra
COLA said. worked for foreign Govern
ments and had sometimes sold important
secrets TO Germany at high prices. The
Italians name was Cesare Colo. and that
OF the naturalized Frenchman Jerenie
Nesqui. The latter had long been q con-
tractor on public works AZ Toulon. They
had gone to Brussels five days ago. Ieav-
ing him entirely without means of living.
He found after their departure that Colo
had left documents behind him, and these
he wanted to sell
PLANS OF FORTIFICATIoNS
Fragola thereupon produced eighty-fve
plans Of the Toulon forts. some of them
the French originals and other accurate
copies made at the Italian War Ministry.
He also had in his possession a list of
plans Of Cherbourg. Brest and Toulon.
with typewriter instructions. alleged by
Frasola TO have emsnsted from the Ger
man staf. concerning the marking of bat
teries OF artillery. There was also a let
ter appointing a rendezvous at the Thurin-
ger Hef Berlin for November l3, signed
* To this was attached a card in
scribed. ''Felio Friedrich Scholtz.''
The Mathis correspondent gave Fragola
a few shillings and persuaded him to leave
the documents in his hands in order that
an examination OF them might be made.
The next morning he took them to the
French Embassy. where the naval attache
declared them TO be absolutely genuine.
The Matin this morning asserts that the
French naval attache in London imme-
diately took the documents TO Paris and
submitted them TO the chief OF the naval
staff. who advised Premier Combes. the
Acting Minister of Marine. and the War
Ministry. with the result that a French
detective was sent to London
The Ministry OF Marine has issued a
statement TO the effect that the documents
| offered TO the Mathis London correspond
ent concern the Ministry Of War. which
Is responsible for the land Notifications.
The latter refuses all Information. The
head Of the detective department says tha;
the documents are unauestionably genuine
and were stolen from Government Officers