Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-22
.LODY FACES SQUAD
WITH EYES OPEN
Former Omaha Man Said to Have
Been Executed at Demand Of
Lord Kitchener.
LIGHTER PENALTY FAVORED
Several Members of Cabinet said TO
Have Advocated Life Sentence
London Reports said TO ne
Accurate and Clear.


Correspondence OF the Associated Press
LONDON, Nov. BAT o'clock on the
foggy morning OF November g. Carl Hans
Lody. the German naval lieutenant. whom
the people Of London had come to know
as 'Lody the Spy" sat in chair in a
courtyard of the old Tower OF London
and faced a firing squad selected to put
him to death. lie had been convicted by
court-martial OF communicating with the
German authorities to the detriment OF
England. and in view OF the agitation
raised throughout the British Isles on the
question Of alien enemies. no penalty but
death seemed TO meet the situation.
This is the usual fate of all spies caught
in war time. but as the court-maritai was
held In London, as remote In many re-
spects from the scene Of fighting as New
York. some doubt was expressed at first
whether the extreme penalty would be in
fllcted. IL was said even that certain
members OF the cabinet favored life i'm
prisonment. But, so the gossip runs, Lord
Kitchener, quick TO sec the necessity for
extreme action with the spy menace so
rampant. insisted upon the death penalty
At any rate. Lody is dead. Ten seconds
after he sat in the chair in the tower
courtyard, eyes unshielded at his own
request. he toppled forward lifeless, with
seven bullets through his breast. Half
an hour later an undertakers wagon
came and the body was taken away for
burial in a pauper'B grave.
Setting IL Historical.
The scene of the execution--the first in
the tower since the middle of the eight
eanfh ig hut fav raSa h.
spots where Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey
and other English celebrities died by the
axe many years ago.
All the retainers and employees in the
towers cluster OF old structures soon
heard OF the execution--in fact, many OF
them were awakened by the volley--and
visitors who camo to the tower that day
were told OF It In whispers. Lody had
died game. they said. Throughout the
night he had prayed with a British army
chaplain. To the last he refused 20 tell
for what person in Germany he was act
ing
Nor was It disclosed at the court-mar-
tisl just what reports Lody had sent to
Germany. When certain documents were
discussed reporters were barred from the
room. That they were important. how
ever, is generally admitted. Those who
have read some OF the reports pay high
tribute to Lody's clearance OF expression
and the acuteness of his observations.
Taken as a whole. 1t Is said that his data
forms one of the most remarkable ex-
hibits ever brought to the attention. OF
Scotland Yard.
Looked Like American.
IOdV was about * xraa 70 old httt InnIrad
younger. Though native OF Berlin, he
.ad travelled widely. and he spoke Eng
,ish with almost an American accent
This, together with the fact that he
looked like an American, was doubtless
the main reason he was sent to England
as a spy. He had spent much time here
before, but on the last occasion he came
In August shortly after hostllities were
declared with Germany
Clever as he was. the intelligence office
of the War department soon got wind of
hfs actions. and he was watched It was
during this shadowing that he insisted
that he was Charles A. Inglls, an Amer,-
can. In this role he even went TO the
police and complained that he was being
followed. This for time threw off his
pursuers, but the espionage was later
renewed and in October he was arrested.
London Papers Have Long Reports.
English counsel defended him. The
court-martial was short; the prisoner's
span OF life after sentence was pro-
nounced was even shorter. He was taken
secretly to the tower and not until four
days after his execution was the news
officially made public
Whether relatives will make any AT.
tempt to claim the body Is not krown
here The London papers have been de-
voting long accounts OF his death In one
sense strangely out of proportion, since
thousands die each week on the continent. |
But Lody was spy. and there was
dash of the picturesque about him. and
ne died In the tower, which appealed to
The British imagination. No Englshman
aments his death. but all the newspapers
pay him the tribute OF dying bravely like
philosopher. He had accepted the risk
IND he paid the penalty.