New-York tribune., 1910-12-23
BRITISH SPIES SENTENCED
Army Officers Convicted of Espi-
onage on German Forts.
EACH GETS FOUR YEAR TERM
Both Admitted Gathering Mate
rial to Place at Disposal of
Their Government.

Leipstc Germany, Dec 22-Captain Ber-
nard Frederick Trench, Of the British Royal
Marine Infantry, and Lieutenant Vivian H
Brandon, of the Royal Navy, we're today
found guilty Of espionage upon the German
Notifications at Borkum and each SEN
fenced to four years Imprisonment in a
fortress
The British spies were arrested at Borkunl
on August p and %, and, until the opening
Of their trial Yesterday, were held in sep
arate cells at the prison in>Leipsic.
Brandon, who was first taken into Gus
tody, is a brother-in-law Of Sir William
Bull, N. P. Trench is q grandson of Lord
Ashtown and descendant Of Archbishop
Trent When arrested both admitted frank
ly that they had come to Germany to col
lect information which. they intended. to
place at the disposal OF the British govern
ment- This admission was repeated at the
trial yesterday.
To-day's proceedings wers not made pub
lie, as they consisted chiefly of the inroduc-
ton of expert military testimony. The
British representative, Mr.. Oliver the con-
sui at Hamburg, was amorg those ex-
cluded The interests of the defendants
were looked after by Justizrath Won Gordon,
of Berlin, and DR.. Otto. of Leips,c.
When apprehended, it IS alleged that the
men were taking fashlight pictures of the
fortihcations at Borkum, and that they
had secured also photographs OF the de-
fences in course of construction on the
island Of Wangeroog, in the North Sea.
near the entrance to Jade Bay.
The spies made a favorable impression by
their candid avowal of the duties in which
they were engaged and It had been antici-
pated that in the event Of their conviction
they would receive light sentences
Lieutenant Siegfried Helm, the German
army officer who was arrested charged with
having made sketches of the British fortlh-
cations in Portsmouth Harbor, pleaded
guilty on November Il, and by the court
at Portsmouth was placed under bonds Of
s. $50 not 70 repeat the offence.
On December the Supreme Court IN
this CITY sentenced two brothers, named
Geier. to two wears and six months penal
servitude, respectively, for espionage On
the same dav French officer Captain Lux,
was arrested at Friedrichshafen as a sus-
pected spy
In the course Of his pleadings to-day the
states attorney pointed out the great ex
tent Of the espionage Of Trench and Bran
don and the danger thereby to the VIA!
interests of Germany and the countrys de-
fences
Hs said that the facts that the prisoners
rers foreigners, operating IN the onteteses
If ,reir own country, and had net endeav-
ored to induce German subjects to oetray
national secrets and moreover practically
had confessed their guilt, were regarded by
the German authorities as mitigating cir
lcurnstances-
Counsel for the prisoners pleaded that
tteir clients were guilty only of an unsuc-
cessful attempt at espionage.
London. Dec 23.-The London morning
newspapers editorially synpathizing W,tt
the officers convicted at Leipsic, take the
view that Captain Trench and Lieutenan'
Branden had an admirably far tr'al anc
that their sentence was not excessive.