Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-12

FIdIu-OtotIlGo III
vital to the safeguards of Britain than
the other points mentioned in the let
ter.
There were sub-agents working at
Cromarty. / did not know who they
were; they simply made their reports
to me, signing their German secret
service number. I took up their points
with Berlin. Well, the "other business
in hand" was to put certain British
army officers under a monthly retain
ing fee of 9100 for which in the event
Of war he was to commit an act of
unspeakable treason and treachery on
a certain harbor defense.
Caught
I had judged my jurymen right, for
they were very little impressed by this
letter. It was all too vague and even
the fluent language of a Grown Prose-
cutor does not impress a hard-headed
Scotchman. l was feeling in high
spirits indeed, when l saw one of the
attendants approach Sir A. M. Ander-
son and deliver a document that had
been handed into court. I at once recog-
nized 1t and my heart dropped into my
shoes. The Solicitor General read the
document and smiled. knew they
had me.
In addressing the court the Solicitor
General produced two pieces of thin
paper-the same that had been brought
in on the previous afternoon.
II have got to show the court"
he said impressively. "the most dead
ly code ave prepared against the safe
guards of Great Britain"
And 1t certainly was. It contained
the name Of every vessel in the British
navy, every naval base, fertilization
and strategic point, in Great Britain.
There were over ten thousand anne
and opposite each was written a mum
Der. For example, the dreadnaught
Queen Mary was number S13.
AS | have confessed, / am supersti-
tious. And have / not reason to be? 1t
was the Chemical company letter
that got me caught in the first place.
And my secret code was written in a
book issued for the use of physicians
Dy the Chemical company! Both
times the Chemical company mark
was upon me.
Using a magnifying glass had writ
ten in tiny Characters my code. There
were so many names it was impossible
to memorize them all. Two opposite
sheets of the little memorandum book
were used, then the edges of the pages
were pasted together. Whenever l
learned the British warships were go
ing to put to sea, l slipped the book
in my pocket. went to a position of
vantage where l could make out the
silhouettes of the warships, classified
them in my mind, and then writing
out a cable put down the code num-
bers, say in this way:
214, SO, 700, go, 21-(Necessary
words were filled in by the A. B. G.
code.)
This message was sent by waysof
Brussels or Paris to the intelligence
department Of the German Admiralty
In Berlin and told them what warships
were putting to sea or arriving at
Rossyth.
~ TdG&tO VI AtQ 0CfthGfCCa
The accidental finding of the code
of cours settled all further argument.
/ called no witness for the defense ex-
cept two or three personal acquaint-
ances, to each Of whom ] put this ques
ton:
What is your knowledge of my
attitude as regards England?"
They all declared that even If Twas
a spy in~the pay of any foreign gov
eminent, l certainly had never shown
any personal feeling or animosity
toward Great Britain.
All of which I figured might aid the
cause of clemency. The jury was not
out more than half an hour. / was
found guilty Of endangering the safe
guards Of the British empire and un-
der the new law that had been aimed
against German spies l was liable to
seven years penal servitude. Even