The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-01-03
A WOMAN SPY.
Miss smollanikoff. Young Russian
Lady Of High Birth,

Learns Many OF the German Empe-
ror's military Secrets. She ls
Caught and Imprisoned.
A dispatch from Berlin, Germany,
says the sensational career Of a spy,
Miss Zinaida Smolianiuoff, a Russian
spy, has been cut short by a sentet ee
Of fifteen months imprisonment at
Lsipsic. Her case demonstrates to
what methods the European govern
ments resort In order to ferret out
each others military secrets.
Miss Snolisninoff was a typical
twentieth century spy, pretty, dash
ing, OF high birth and good education.
In ST. Petersburg Miss Smolianiof
was feted during one Of two seasons
as a society beauty. Suddenly, when
she had attained her twentieth birth
day, her faui,er lost all his money and
committed suicide. Her mother died
shortly aftsrward and Miss Smoliani.
nof was left alone In the WORLD with
on; cent. She became q governess.
The life, however, was irksome and
humiliating to her.
After a year Of drudgery Miss Smo'
iianinoff met by chance q young ott1-
Ger of the Russian headquarters staff,
who had formerly been one of her ad.
msrers and was genuinely distressed
at her unhappiness. He suggested to
hsr q career which would enable her
to live ip luxury-that she become q
spy in the service c. the Russian gov.
ernment. He promised to use bis IN.
huence at the war Office to obtain EN-.
ployment for her. Miss Smolianinof
consented and was shortly atterWard
engaged as q spy.
She was dispatched to Germany to
learn as many military secrets as pos
sible. Sae arrived at Berlin provided
with exceptional letters Of reconmsn'
dation, which, combined with her sp-
pearance and manners, ensbleo her to
achieve great social success In the
German capital, She appeared to
have unlimited funds and drove about
il her carriage and pair with liveried
domestics, and maintained gorgeous
apartment in priIcsly style IN the
most fashihionable street Of Berlin.
Her social connections gave her e1.
cellent opportunities. She bsWitched
state officials an army officers into
telling secrets which they ought to
have guarded as jsalously as their own
lives. She was 80 adroit that her
victims had not the slightest idea Of
how they were being duped. She con-
tinued her opar ions uncht cked for
four wears. During this period she
ascertsined plans for the defense OF
Germany's eastern frontier against a
possible Russian invasion, as well as
the scheme of mobilization If Ger
many became involved in war with
Russia. Sac obtained sketches OF i'm
portant Notifications and copies Of
weighty military documents. Pre-.
cisely how the achieved all this has
not been revealed.
Suspicion was first directed toward
her by the suicide of young offlc II
OF brilliant prospects, out OF whom
Mss Smolianioff had wormed a most
important military secret. He left a
letter giving this as the cause OF bis
self-destrucuion. The German au'
thorities closely watched Miss. Smoll-
anincff from that day. After several
months they had sufficient evidence to
Justify her arrest.
The trial at Leipsic was behind
closed doors, owing to the nature OF
the military secrets discussed. 1t
has transplred that Miss Smolianinoff
received a salary of Sl5 600 q year and
had communicated to Russia over
fifty important military secrets. Had
it bsen possible to prove this legally
she would hardly have escaped with a
smaller penalty THAI twenty years
penal servi5ude. She had ensnared
over 100 state eff ,ials and army Off.
GERS and exploited them for her pur-
poses. Wnen she emerges from pris.
on in Is months she will be expelled
from Germany and prohibited from
ever again entering the country. Ger
man milit.ry authorities regard her
as the most dangerous and successful
soy of recent times.