Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1915-01-08

| man 10 nave any knowledge OF tnc5
guns unless no had obtained 1t frs
hand from the works in Glasgow 0
course. that brought the testimon,
into technicalities / managed to in
volve the admiral in n heated alterca
tion on the trajectory and enetratinl
power Of the so-much disputed 14-incl
gun
! maintained that my knowledge OF
guns was such that / did not need tc
spy at Beardmore to obtain the things
! knew,
The upshot OF It was that the first
day Of The trial was ended with every
body positive that would not be found
guilty on the charge of obtaining secret
Information about their guns. OF
I'course. all this Information ! had OBJ
tanned
The second day Of the trial brought
the Chemical company letter into the
testimony--the letter that had been
refused and had in turn gone back
TO the Chemical company Very grave
ly Sir A. NJ. Anderson. Crown Prosecu-
tor. read the contents Of this letter
aloud AS / recall the exact wording
IL was;
I'VE are pleased to learn your sue
cessful negotiations Of the business at
hand. Be pleased to send us an early
sample. AS regards the other matter
i'm hand / do not know how useful it
will be to us. In any case my firm is
not willing to pay you more than 100
in this case"
1t was unsigned.
What the Letter Really Meant.
While reading, the prosecutor held
the five ten-pound notes in his hand.
Upon finishing he began vigorous in
dictment, which, in substance. he de-
claimed in this way:
ION the face of 1t the letter does
not seem suspicious But if you gem
tlemen will recall the times of Prince
Charles instructions. periods when
ever intrigues were going on, you will
that in communications of
this sort government was always re-
ferred to as a firm If this was an
honest business letter why was in en-
closed in the envelope stationary of a |
that knew nothing about it -? |
Why was this letter unsigned? Why
was cash inclosed with it? What was
his firm willing to pay 100 pounds for?
the reasons for all these
things are obvious"
But the letter puzzled not only the
court, the jury, the newspapers, but
all England. For the first time l shall
now explain 1t:
1t was from the German govern ,
ment. BY the business at hand"
hey ment the new explosive and slow
burning powder that was to be used
n the new type of 14-inch turret guns
being made in Glasgow. Some of that
Explosive was in my possession. The
]
fleets, nor was anything else incrim-
mating found on me. is because the
ecret agent who knows his business
caves nothing about; but he plants"
hings that is to say, leaves them in
safe deposit vault with the key in
he hands of a person with power of {
ttorney. s
BY the Sample" i'm the letter was
meant sample of the explosive The
other business at hand" spoken Of
vas OF tremendous Importance, more
ital to the safeguards of Britain than
he other points mentioned in the let '
err. :
There were sub-agents working at '
'rowarty. l did not know who they a
'ere; they simply made their reports q
D me, signing their German secret 7
ervice number. took up their points i
18th Berlin. Wen. the ''other business 8
/ hand" was to put certain British n
rmy officers under a monthly retain
TX fee OF & 100 for which, In the event
t war he was to commit an act OF v
nspcakable treason and treachery on
certain harbor defense. n
Caught n
I had judged my jurymen right, for
icy were very little impressed by this v
tier. II was all too vague and even u
lie fluent language OF a Crown Prose- n
itor does not impress hard headed
cotchman. | was feeling In high N
,irits indeed. when ! saw one OF the &
PENDANTS approach Sir A. NJ. Ander- !
m and deliver document that had II
ZEN handed into court. at once recog a
zed IL and my heart dropped into my is
Toes. The Solicitor General read the t.
'cument and smiled. knew they 81
I'd me.
In addressing the court the Solicitor "
eneral produced two pieces OF thin