Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-10-21
AOtG


rest IN Brussels on minor charge OF
| Matchmaking Of the French soldier.
several weeks ago Pelissier. who en-
| Ioyed TO a remarkable degree the conf
icnce OF his officers. disappeared from
Avignon. where he was serving as
private in the First Company OF the
Fifty-eighth Infantry Regiment and
/ shortly afterward 4 number OF impor-
/ lant documents were missing from the
bureau OF the chief OF the regimental
stan. Including the plans for the mo-
] bilization OF the French army on the
| Alpine frontier. That these documents
were OF real importance Is shown by
/ ;he fact that considerable alterations
I have since had 10 DE made in the or
I Souization OF the Alpine defcnseS.
while the price that the German agent
| paid fov them exceeded $1,000.
PelisSier. who is the son OF respect
able parents and native OF the south
OF France. had a bad military record.
and for previous act % deSertion had
served Tor number OF years in the
/ dreaded compagnie de discipline AZ
Biribi. black sheep corps. composed
/ exclusively OF convlcts and desortcrS.
who. in the torr.d climate OF Algeria.
lead the life OF slaves. being employed
on the most uuhealthful and burden
. some tasks and punished with cruclest
severity no the slightest sign 81 revolt
This experience may have completed
the Generalization OF Pellssier. whose
behavior. however. was so good -
quickly TO obtain FOR him a promotion
90 the rank OF drst-c,ass soldier in an
ordinary marching regiment. Frank
in appearance. smart at his duties md
exceptionally well spoken. PclisSier
became such favorite with his SUI
pev.ors that. though en- view OF his
shady past De could not get n stripe.
hc acquired the nickname OF the "lit-
dc captain" and was not only con-
stantiy ga receipt o. special favors Tor
himself. but able 90 obtain them FOR
his comrades
AT this juncture le made the nc
Quaintance. in cafe az Avignon. OF a
well dressed and well hammered iudi-
vidunl named Muller. who appeared Co
take great fancy Co him. treated him
Co quantities Of drink. encouraged him
90 talk. aud finally. on tho strength Of
being the correspondent OF an illus
tratcd paper engaged him as "a copyist
"A task FOR which his military duties
left him sufficient leisure Muller was
in reality the head OF q German nili-
tary SPY agency. with his hoadquar-
te-s En- The Rue Banning. in Brussels.
but the young soldier did not know this
az first and merely marvelcd at the
handsome payment which he received
fo~ copying out articles 81 no apparent
significance
soon this now source OF income
tempted him 20 indulge in expensive
amusements. which Muller encoura red
adroitiy and ne feu deeply in debt
Muller. who knew that Pelissier had
been I'm trouble before. row tempted
} him with larger sums. and told him
plainly that Lc was seeking FOR infor-
nation on technical military topics
The web which lie spun about tho
/ French soldiers conscience frightened
, its tolls almost impcrccpubiy. An at
d I trsctive young woman appeared upon
she scene. introduced by Muller. and
! peissier quickly fell y victim 10 her
I charms. He little guessed thar she
J too. was sn agent 81 the German Intel
/, ligence Department Her extravagau'
tastes. which hc endcnyorcd 20 satisfy
plunged him deeper and deeper On debt
He went 20 Muller and begged for 1T
immediate loan OF 500 Muuel
promptly threw OF the mask. Il car
= give you nothing more he said. ''un
Z less YOU consent 20 procure for me cop
les % documents marked Confidential
? which are locked mp IN the office o.
{ your rerimentaI stan
q but then you are Il spy" exclaimed
Peussier. In horror" Yen have heei
q q long time finding that out" was IL
y cynical reply. And. suppose / O.
- nounce you said the soldier Sc
( should be far away 10y then" returne
- Muller. land IN the meanwhile / Shout
q let yOur COLONEL know or the document
you have already furnished. and tha
+ means-back 10 BiribL-
. Pelissier. according TO his own az
! count. thus found himself unable {
Y rtcede. At the bidding Of his pitiles
= taskmaster he took Impressions Gf tn
locks IN the bureau OF the regiment;
, STAFF and stole document after docI
+. ment. replacing them after they Ia
been copied by Muller He rarely Ia
time 10 ascertain their contents. Onl
once was he able 20 make a selection
= and this was when he secured. wit
the assistance OF another sOldie
- Bez. whom he had corrupted and WI
has since confessed and been COZ
u demned. the plan or the French \
- pine defenses and details OF French G
pionage in Italy.
le He then deserted and fed 10 Genev
&c subsequently meeting Muller at Mia
D. where 5000 was paid TO him 10 cor
rs plete the price OF his treason. Null