Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-09-02
Thursday September 1915
Spying In The Enemy's Country.

Since the war broke out, we in America
have just begun to understand how i'm
portant and how continually busy are. the
secret services of the various European
nations. The "spy" is employed by all
the military offices OF Europe, and al
though the German system is believed to
be the most highly organized and efficient
of them all all, there has been many a
clever bit of secret work done by the
agents of England, France. and Russia.
Sir Robert Baden Powell, the well-known
founder OF the Boy Scouts, has some OF
the most exciting exploits in question to
his credit, and he describes several of
them in his book, "My Adventures as a
Spy" This is the story OF his mission to
get information about new power-house
and a drydock in an unnamed foreign
country:
II was early morning, and several carts
were waiting to come in. Noticing that
the policeman at the gate was talking to
the driver OF the first wagon, ! jumped
alongside the second wagon, on the side
the policeman, and so passed inside the
wall, and continued to walk with the We
hicle as il wound its way round the new
building. then noticed another police
man ahead OF me, and employed the same
tactics TO avoid him. Unfortunately, as
rounded the corner of the building, the
first policemen spied me, but walked on
on as unconcernedly as could until | had
put the corner OF the new building be-
tween him and me. Then fairly hooked
it along the back OF the building and
rounded the far corner of it.
AS did so, noticed that the police
man was coming full-speed, and that he
had called the other policeman to his aid.
darted round the next corner, out Of
sight OF both, and was halfway up lad
der at that side OF the building when
round the corner came one of the police
men. at once "froze." keeping abso-
lutelY immoviable. He drew nearer to
ladeer, passing almost Under me, and
looked in at the doorways ofthe unfinish-
ed building. Then he doubtfullY turned
and looked back at a shed behind him,
and finally ran on round the next corner
of the power-house.
The moment he disappeared, finished
the rest OF my run up the ladder, and
reached the platform OF the scaffolding.
My first act was TO look for a line OF es-
cape in case of pursuit, and presently |
found short ladder leading 10 the stage
below, although if did not 90 to the
ground. Then proceeded to take notes.
From my position | had an excellent view
OF the dockyard and the excavations for
the new dock, the dimensions OF which
could easily estimate. whipped out my
prismatic compass, and quickly took the
bearings of two conspicuous points on
the neighboring hills, and fixed the posi-
ton so that it could be marked on a
large scale map for purposes OF shelling
the place.
Meanwhile my pursuers, satisfied that
was not in the interior OF the power
house, proceeded 10 examine shed close
by. One man went into it, while the
other, by accident or design, stood at
the foot of the ladder by which ! had
come; so | climbed down the shorter
ladder to the lower story, and from there
quickly swarmed down scaffolding
pole and landed safely on the ground.
Here was out of sight OF the man guard
ing the ladder, and taking care TO keep
the corner OF the building between us, |
made my way cut of the gate without
being seen.