The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-06-17
The Danger of a
Government Secret
By ALAN HINSDALE

advantages there since a cousin of
mine was married to a man occupying
a confidential position In the foreign
Office. Her husband was very much
In love with her and was used to tell
ing her state secrets that came under
his notice-Of ourse with the under
standing that she would no reveal
them.
1t Is hard enough for men to keep
secrets, but it seems harder for WON
en-. One day my cousin told me a
state secret that would be immensely
valuable for publication. l needed
funds and would not have hesitated
to sell Ii but for the fear of implicit
ing the person from whom l received
it. But on this account 1 had ne
thought Of doing SO.
But l did not guard 1t as I should
have done. had received consider
able favor socially from Caspar o
Hulig. a young German, and We had
become very chummy. One evening
while We were drinking wine together
l preached the subject to him. He
at once asked where l got my infor-
nation. This brought mi to my
senses, and I threw him off the track
by limiting at a source entirely foreign
to my cousin. The same evening she
sent me a note by her maid, disguised.
telling me that the foreign department
had become aware that it's secret had
got out and was hunting for the leak
age. l responded that l had not i'm
plicated her and she would do well not
&c do anything to cause a suspicion
that I had obtained the secret through
her.
From that ome | was conscious
of being watched. l have since thought
that | would have been arrested had
it not been that the government was
bent upon decoying me into revealing
the source from which | had obtained
the secret. refrained from any men
ton of the. matter to Won Hulig. for !
now knew that he was a secret servant
of the government.
Fearing that | would be thrown into
prison | determined to make IN at
tempt to leave Germany. Had
known the workings of the German
secret service as ! do now | should
have had little hope of evading those
who were watching me. However. |
was well aware that no attempt to
leave German territory would be sue
cessful unless well considered and car
ried Out with great care.
was but nineteen years old-not
surprising to one who has read thus
far in this story-and in juvenile he
A:l I,.l aran banr nCcsOrn1
girls parts. What little beard ! had
was very light, and Il good shave and
plenty of powder concealed 1t. My
chief difficulty was to secure wOmen's
clothes.
had been used to seeing my cousin
quite often and thought it best to con
tinue my visits. went to see her,
told her that | was about to Eight out
and asked hey if she could secure me
woman's apparel for the purpose. She
was not much older han | and. being
frightened. scarcely knew whether to
consent to my going or not. She final
ly concluded that if | could elude those
watching me I would better 20 and
promised to send me an outfit. She
sent it by her maid. an Austrian. who
was of great benefit to me. She
brought me the clothes in the middle
of the night and gave me Il letter to
her people in Vienna. stating that |
was a friend of hers who was going to
Austria to seek a position as ladies'
maid. She also brought me a woman's
passport.
In the morning. dressed as a girl. |
left my room. On the opposite side OF
the street a MAJ was %lounging and |
did not doubt that he was watching
the house for me. He seemed not a
bit suspicious of my being a woman.
but | thought it best to meander for
awhile through the streets before going
to the station.
had no adventure between Berlin
and Vienna. though during the day IA
man passed through h train. scruti-
nizing the passengers. But he must
have beer looking for a man. AT any
rate. he paid little heed to me. and as
soon as he had gone | breathed freely
again. have no doubt as soon as ]
was missed from my rooms every
train that had left Berlin after mid
night was ScfutlnlZeu.
When | left Germany and crossed
the Austrian border | felt very nerv
Gus until after my passport had been
examined: then ! felt that | had a
chance for success. Nevertheless there
was plenty of espionage in Austria
and | would not feel out of the woods
until | had passed down int Italy
where | hoped TO find a steamer at
Genoa sailing for America,
| lived a week with the family To
whom | had a letter and would have
stayed longer had not a young govern
ment clerk fallen in love with nle
This drove me out. and ] made for
Genoa and escaped to the land where
nobody is watched