The Jasper news., 1917-07-19

LII
49, lars and spent the money as
If 1t were water; the other an utterly
dlllerent story of the operations of the
Italian secret police in detecting and
breaking up vast espionage conspir-
acy operated from neutral soil.
some fragments of both stories have
peen. given to the public; even in Italy
not nearly all the details of either are
yet known. Both stories testify to the
skill OF the italian secret police.
The tale~of the robbery of the Aus
TRAN consulate at Zurich has all the
markings of novel of adventure. The
Italian authorities had information,
even before 1taly's entrance into the
war, that from some neutral quarter
great conspiracy of espionage was
being engineered in Italy. 1t became
more and more apparent that this con-
splracy had It's agents in very high
places where they enjoyed access to
the most confidential information.
Ultimately suspicion was directed
against Mgr. .Gerlach, the pope's Ger
man private chamberlain, who had been
nationality, because of his relations
with the Vatican. Month after month of
investigation led finally to the convic-
ton that the Austrian consulate at Zu-
rich was the clearing house and head
quarters of the whole Austrian es-
plonage In Italy. Secret agents of the
Italian office for special police inves-
legations watched the establishment Mt
Zurich and its agents in Italy until
they were satisfied Of the correctness
of their suspicious regarding Zurich
and the Implication of Mgr. Gerlach.
The rest would have been easy If
Zurich had not been neutral territory,
and If there had not been very special
reasons to avoid giving offense to the
Swiss government. Above all things,
Italy could not afford to do this be-
cause there is strong pro-German
sentiment in Switzerland, and the Aus
tro-Germans would have all the advan-
tage If Switzerland should be drawn
into the war and its territory thus
opened for movement of their forces
against Italy.
GNpSit oui8iaTS EII'ploySu.
The story goes that when long-con-
tlnued observation had established be-
yond reasonable question the character
of the operations that were being con-
Quoted from the Austrian consulate in
Zurich the Italian secret police decided
not only that they would break up the
business but that they would make n
desperate effort to get possession Of
papers which would fix the guilt upon
agents in Italy. Accordingly, two high
ly expert safe blowers and bank rob-
bers who were serving life terms In
an italian prison were made agents of
the secret police.
If the story as 1t Is accepted and
believed in Italy Is correct, these two
expert criminals were taken into con-
ference by the police. They proved,
as so many criminals in all the war
ring countries have proved, that In
their somewhat irregular fashion they
were just as patriotic as people who
had managed to keep out of Jail. They
convinced the authorities that they
could be trusted with n great state
StCIct, lllluily "tlC lIltlI
freedom If they would go to Zurich, ex-
anime the Austrian consular establish
ment, and rob 1t OF the documents that
were desired,
The two expert safe blowers prompt
ly accepted the commission. They were
equipped with every detail of informa-
ton that the police could give them,
..rttb YNla Of nd
means to disguise themselves and their
business. Then they went away to zu-
rich, took their own good time and did
patriotic job in hlgh-class safe blow
ing that must be set down as unique.
They discovered that the coveted
and discriminating documents of the
consulate were kept in building adj
jacent to the consular establishment
and not supposed to be occupied by it.
1t developed not only that the big
stronghold of state secrets was thus
entirely separated from the consular
office. but that very ingenious methods
had been adopted to prevent robbery.
Not only were electric burglar
alarms installed but the room in which
the big safe stood was plped for as
phyxiating gas In such fashion that in
reference with the safe would open
the valves and instantly fill the place
with gas. 1t was necessary first for
the burglars to learn all about this
method of protection so that they
might thwart 1t.
Amazing Revelations Secured.
The ingenuity of the expert cracks