Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-01-13
How She
Was Bribed
By A WHITCOMB

Ill by FAOL WfllNON6
During the latter part Of President
kIuerta's administration Of the govern
mcnt of Mexico it became necessary
for the United States government to
send to the American representative
there a document of great Importance.
There were Mexican spies i'll those
days who were attempting to thwart
the efforts Of the Washington govern
ment and who worked very adroitly.
They had their c~onfederatcs in the de-
partments who posted them as to what
was taking place.
Paul Willard, a clerk in the state de-
partment, was intrusted with the docu-
ment and warned to guard it carefully
lest he be dispossessed of it. lie was
a young man recently married and.
taking his dispatch home. old his wife
Of his mission and asked her to pack
Il suit case, the only baggage he in
tended to take with him.
Now, the Mexican secret service men
at Washington, knowing that Paul
Willard was Il clerk in the office of the
secretary of state and had access to
secrets, had tempted his wife with
jewels to get information through her.
She had not yielded, but, being shrewd.
had pretended to be half inclined to
consent. She said nothing to Paul
about having been sounded, but when
he told her Of his mission she went
out on p%retense of making a purchase
nrj fold f1,n nCc.nn J-ho bod triNI To
buy her that her husband would start
the next morning for Mexico with an
important dispatch.
Before going to bed that night she
asked to see the document. which was
contained in an official envelope and
sealed with the seal Of the United
States. She told him that it would be
wiser to put it into a plain envelope
addressed to an assumed name. He
asked her to do it, and she took it into
2 another room for the purpose. bringing
it back reincloscd.
! Willard next morning babe his wife
> goodby and started on his journey. AS
, may be expected, he was watched by
] the Mexican secret service employees,
who were intent on waylaying him,
but he took precautions always to be
t where there were others about him,
and they found no opportunity. A very
o pretty woman was sent on the trip,
which was made by sea, to fasclnate
him, but Paul, besides being a faithful
J husband, was no fool, and he refused
" to be duped by her.
1 During the voyage his statcroom was
, entered and his suit case examined.
a But he had taken the dispatch and
d placed it in the breast pocket of his
e coat, where he could constantly feel its
bulk. Then the conspirators, feeling
sure that he carried it on his person,
made efforts to get him by himself so
that they might get it into their posses
sion. On onc occasion Il man spoke II
G Enthusiastically Of phosphorescent lights
at the stern of the vessel, suggesting
that he go With him to see. No one was
there, and Willard declined to go. This
attempt put him on his guard, and for
the rest of the voyage he took care
never to be caught alone.
On arriving at Vera Cruz he took 4
9 train for Mexico City. Being now in
the enemy'S country, he felt that he
's was i'll more danger. And he was. Tho
Mexicans were doing pretty much as
they pleased, and so long as Huerta's
men Knew that Paul carried an impor
~ tant document from the United States
4 government it was a foregone conclu
sion that nc would be robbed of it.
tt True enough, at the first station Il
which the train stopped several mel
entered the car where Paul sat ant
passed through it, evidently looking TO
n some one. On reaching him they tool
TX him into the baggage car and had NJ
trouble in finding the package in hi
no pocket. Then they permitted him to re
turn to his seat in the car he had left.
Paul was naturally very much cas-
down. He regretted that he had at
sy tempted to carry the document througI
ig without protection. What puzzled hiu
nd was that any II could have got win,
of his going. No one knew the secrc
except an assistant secretary who la,
as given him the dispatch, Mrs. Millar
n. and himself. Surely the department
ng must be full of spies.
On reaching Mexico City he detel
mined to- go to the United States en-
&c bassy and report his loss. He wa
looking for a cab when a yelled lad
-. sitting in one beckoned to him to &C
lc' in. At first he refused; then, remen
boring that, having lost his dispatch
,as further %precaution was unnecessa1
ne and not seeing another cab at his di!
I'D posal. he consented.
"Where do you wish to go?" aske
the lady in English, but with a Spar
ish accent.
"First let the driver take you to 20;
est destination replied Paul.
it ST am going to the United State
embassy"
Paul looked surprised Il gave tt
order to drive to the embassy. The lac
leaned back on the cushion and mao