El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-12
ALLEGED SPIES
FORGED T0PAY
DEATH PENALTY
Cafe Owner, Accused of Civ
ing Secrets to the Enemy
Drops Out of Sight.
FRENCH METE OUT
QUICK VENGEANCE
BY GEORGE pUFREsNE.

DARIs, France. Sept l2--1Iany
Germans or Austrian hotel man
ayers disappeared suddenly just
after the war began and the commonly
accepted explanation is: shot as a
spy"
Here is a story for which I cannot
vOuch, concerning the taking off OF a
hotel manager whose place was near
the Champs -EIysees- It was small but
handsome and he was perfect Bene-
dict He spoke every tongue OF
Europe, it seemed, without accent and
could give you the most complicated
directions for travelling from the tip
Of his tongue Night and day, winter
and summer. he wore the same frOck
coat. the same diamond pin given to
him by a travelling monarch
He was rich. IL was said He owned
other hotels in Paris and in SWitZer-
land 4. Was he married. No one ever
seemed to know that or TO ask the
He was simply an excellent hotel
manager, smooth, efficient Omnlscienr-
He disappeared Immediately war be
gan, when both guests and staff were
hotel itself is now empty and guarded
by the police
Page Makes Discovery.
II was one OF the page boys OF the
hotel. according 70 the legend Of the
boulevard who in a boys way got out.
OF his attic window on TO the roof He
scrambled about in great glee for a
while. climbing on to the ridges OF the
gables and looking over the house
tops right away to the green BOis. At
last he came 10 the turEet that stands
at the corner Of the rOOf-One Of those
little ornamental cupOlas that archi-
tects put on 10 hotels 10 crafty the
hotel proprietors sense Of graceful de-
sign, surmOunted by a tall flagstaff,
which Is stayed against wind by
circle OF stout wire ropes running
down to the roof
There is a door in the side Of the
cupola with a ladder leading up to ii,
and the sight OF a closed door in a
turret is enough 10 fire the curiosity
OF any boy. Up the ladder scrambled
the little page. pushed open the door
and then started back in establishment
Instead OF being empty the Uurret con-
tanned a large table, and the table was
covered with instruments and coils OF
wire and wheels
The man sitting at the table had a
telephone receiver clamped over his
head. and as the door opened he swung
round with a startled word
Peniteuuy the frightened little boy
stood there sLammerlns apologies He
had recognized the chief OF the hotel
staff The manager seized the boy an
grily by the shoulder What business
had he there2 What did he mean By
disturbing important experiments
Go down at once. you LITTLE rascal,
and II you say a word about this with
out my permission therel be trouble
Manager Is Arrested.
Thoroughly scared, the petit
groom" scurried away It was some
days before he told anyone Of his
strange discovery Of the manager in
the cupOla with the mysterious coils
OF wires and telephone receiver But
gradually first TO another page boy,
then through all the servants OF the
hotel. the story spread And at last
one Frsnchman who heard it. more
alert than the rest, reflected that there
vas talk OF war between France and
Germany and took the trouble TO so
round TO the police station
Nothing apparently happened But
the military governor OF Paris had
been told Of the incident and from
windows in houses around the hotel
discreet field glasses were watching
the unObtrusiVe little TurreL Then
there came the German declaration OF
war, and the next morning several de-
tectives in plain clothes drove up in a
tsxicab TO the hotel
They crossed the broad hall with its
lofty. cleaning marble walls, TO the
managers office At his rich mahOg-
any desk sat the manager, spruce,
self possessed. capable as ever You
have been using a secret wireless ap-
paratus on the roof OF your hotel for
the purpose OF conveying messages TO
the enemy. You are arrested as
spy" Some Of the detectives were
driving away with their prisoner a
moment later. The rest stayed to
make arrangements for the immediate
closing OF the hotel
And since then the manager has not
been seen by anyone Only from every
side you hear the same story. A court
martial sitting in one Of the big bar
rack forts round Paris and the next
day a firing squad in the mOat, and
facing il, the hotel manager a con-
victed spy
Is this the true story Of his disap-
pearance2 ] can only say that il is
what everyone in Paris will tell you
War is a grim business.