The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-20

room and there he began going through
my ehects and bundling them up.
spent the night In the Glasgow
CITY prison, and was taken the next
Jay before a magistrate and formally
committed to q sherif's t5Ist. On
July ~ my case came up before the
sherih's court. Waving preliminary
examination, | was committed for trial
10 the edinburgh high court. II ia
5lghihcant that the extreme length
OF a committal without trial under
brltish law is i05 calendar days. which
100 days up to the last minute | Ger.
tainly waited. They were trying to
nhd out my antecedents, but they did
not succeed.
a letter from the Lord Provost I'm.
formed me that all material for my
DEFENSE should be i'm his hands q day
before the trial. | had no defense. |
neither denied nor admitted anything.
l repIled to his Lordship that as ! was
unaWare OF any onense there was no
need OF any defense. My attitude was
a profound ~puzzle-which was as
wanted.
seotland's Most Sensational Court
Procedure"
II you are to look over the back
Mes OF the English and Scottish news.
papers OF the time, you will read that
my trlai was the most sensational
court procedure ever held In n Scottish
court Of Justice"
NOW shall reveal every clrcum.
stance OF II. For the nrst time | shall
explain how, why and by whom | was
secretly released. Until I revealed my.
ser In the United States. even the
German foreign Office thought me In
jail.
Against me the crown had sum.
moned 10 witnesses. They included
admirals, colonies, captains. military
ana naval experts. posi- office officials
i cannot recall all. The press from all
parts OF Europe-for all Europe was
vitality concerned in this trlal-was
represented
PRESIDING was the Lord Justice Of
scotland, himself no mean expert In
military matters. The Solicitor Gen.
era OF Scotland, A. NJ. Anderson. who
prosecuted for the crown, was SUB
ported by G.. Morton. Advocate Depu.
~ The government had indeed an
imposing array OF bewlgged. black
goWned' legal notables marshaled
against me.
A Word to an Admiral.
On the first day | waived examlna.
ton on all witnesses except the naval
and military experts. | directed MY
fire against Rear Admiral 7. B. STRAIT
ton Adair, who superintendent the ord.
nance factories Of the Bcardmore Gun
works in Glasgow.
The admiral was called in on testi.
mony concerning the new l4.ihch gun.
The point they were trying to estab-
fish was that II was impossible for
a man to have my knowledge OF these
guns unless he had obtained II first
hand from the works In Glasgow. OF
course, that brought the testimony
into technicalities. / managed to In.
volve the admiral I'm a heated alterca.
ZION on the trajectory and penetrating
power Of the so-much disputed l4-inch
gun.
maintained that my knowledge OF
guns was such that | did not need 10
spy at Beardmore 10 obtain the things
| knew.
The second day Of the trial brought
the Chemical company letter into the
testimony-the letter that had been
refused me and had in turn gone back
TO the Chemical company. Very grave.
~ Sir A. NJ. Anderson, Crown Prosecu,
tor, read the contents OF this letter
aloud. Az / recall the exact wording
II was:
We are pleased TO learn your sue.
cessful negotiations OF the business AT
hand. BE pleased 10 send us an early
sample, As regards the other matter
In hand | do not know how useful II
will be to us. In any case my firm is
not willing 10 pay you more than 100
in this case
II was unsigned,
What the Letter Really Meant.
While reading. the prosecutor held
the five ten.pound notes I'm his hand
Upon finishing he began a vigorous in.
dictment which in substance he de
claimed in this way:
"On the face of IL, the letter does
not seem suspicious. Rut II you gen
tlemen Will recall the times OF Prince
Charles Instructions, periods when
ever intrigues were going on. you will
remember that In communications OF
this sort a government was always re
ferTed 20 as "A firm. II this al an
honest. business letter why was IL en-
closed In the envelope stationery OF d
company that knew nothing about Il
Why was this letter unsigned? Why
was cash inclosed with Il? What wa,
his firm willing to pay 100 pounds for.
Gentlemen, the reasons for all thes,
things are obvious"
Hut the letter puzzled not only tn,
court, the jury, the newspapers. bu