Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-02-12
(To be Continued).
CAUGHT IN CHURCH TOWER


CAUGHT IN CHURCH TOWER
German Spy Braved All Danger un-
til Located by the French.
A correspondent in northern France
tells the following thrilling story in
the London Daily Express:
The remarkable feat Of a German
military spy, which cost him his life,
has just been brought to light at AL
bert, a manufacturing town in the
department Of the Somme, on the
main line of railway between Paris
and Lille.
In consequence Of the German ad-
vance from Peronne to the line Of the
river Ancre, the French artillery re-
tired from Albert, which is an open
town lying in a hollow, and took up
positions on the high plateau to the
north and northwest Of the town.
When, on September 29, the heavy
German guns bombarded Albert, de-
molishing private houses, factories and
public buildings, and setting the town
on fire in several places. 1t was OBJ
served that the magnificent new
new basilica, with it's campanile 325
feet high, surmounted by a huge gilt
statue of the Virgin and Child, which
forms landmark for miles around,
was left untouched throughout the
terrific bombardment.
Some religious folk attributed the
sparing of the church and it's tower
to a miraculous agency, Albert being
a sort Of Lourdes in the north Of
France.
A week later, as several batteries of
French heavy artillery were passing
through the narrow, ruined streets to
take up position beyond. the town
was again bombarded, but once more
the church and it's great tower suf-
fered no hurt. This was so contrary
to the usual habit Of the German ar
tillery that the suspicious Of the
French military authorities were arous-
ed, and these suspicious were increas-
ed by the fact that the positions Of
the French batteries two miles be-
yond the town were, despite several
changes Of position, continually being
found by the German guns in circum-
stances which even the visits Of the
Taubes failed sufficiently to account
for
AS at the same time the French
command was advised from headquar-
ters that the enemy had apparently
established a wireless station some
where in the locality, it was decided
to keep a close watch on the church
at Albert, the tower Of which had
been frequently used by the French,
up to the day prior to the first bonn
bardment. 1t was, in fact, only in
order to save the inhabitants from the
horrors of a useless bombardment,
the town being Of no trategical i'm
portance, that the French troops had
been withdrawn.
A few days later the comings and
goings Of a serving woman at q small
inn close by the church gave a clew
to the watchers. She was observed
to enter a courtyard at the back of
the church, unlock the sacristy door,
and close it after her. A guard was
set at the door, the sister" of the ad-
joining hostel left in charge of the
locked-up church was brought and
ordered to open the door, and thor
ough search was instituted.
On the staircase Of the tower the
serving woman was arrested, and. in
a state of terror confessed that for a
fortnight past she and another woman
had received twenty francs a day
each to carry food to a man who was
hidden in the tower.
At the top Of the tower, taken by
surprise as he was about to eat the
food which the woman had brought
him, was found a man of between 30
and 35, small wireless apparatus,
and a pair of powerful field glasses,
and magazine pistol.
The man refused to give his name,
but quite frankly admitted that for a
fortnight past he had. from the OBJ
servations he had been able to make
from the tower, directed the fire Of the
German artillery. He spoke French
quite fluently and remarked, No
doubt my fate is sealed, but | have
had the satisfaction of doing my duty
and sewing the fatherland."
Half an hour afterward the man was
tried by court martial, condemned to
death as a spy, and shot in the little
square in front of the church door.
Some papers and notes were found
on his person, but the nature of these
was not allowed to be known. They
appear to have shown, however, that
he was a commissioned officer in the
German army, and it is certain that
he possessed a complete knowledge of
the wireless apparatus, which he had
himself installed in the church tower
in a most workmanlike manner.
The two women implicated were
sent to Amiens. but their fate is not
known.
Though the church and its tower are
still standing at the time of writing
the structure since the execution Of
the spy has been much damaged by
German shells The church. which
took twenty years to build and cost
ESQ 900 sterling, was only completed
i'm 1910