The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-08-02

neiing into the house where the safe
was deposited. and then of cutting the
electrical connections in some cases
and Switchisg off the current 10 false
ground wires In other cases In such
fashion that all danger would be
avoided.
When everything was ready. they
put their plan into execution. They
wore the most approved and effective
gas masks, and were disguised in art
full manner. At any rate they actually
succeeded in blowing the safe. and al
though some of the gas mains were
opened and the room filed with gas.
their masks and oxygen tanks saved
the operators. They were able to get
away with a large proportion Of the
most discriminating documents.
The whole performance was so engi-
neered that the Italian authorities
could not possibly have been held
responsible for II if there had been n
luke, or If the expected revelations
had not been forthcoming. When the
thing was finally accomplished and the
italian authorities held the papers,
which proved wide-reaChing cOnSpir-
acy had been carried on from Swiss
soil, 1t was of course Italy. not Swift
erland. that had the grievance, and the
necessity for secrecy was at an end.
The documents that were thus Sc
cured contained amazing revelations.
Not only Mgr. Gerlach but other people
of only slightly less eminence, some Of
whom had never been under suspicion
in Italy, were involved. Mgr. Gerlach
escaped just In time 10 avoid arrest.
though there has been suspicion in
some quarters that the Italian authori-
ties, without actually conniving at his
escape. were quite satisfied at not hav-
ing him in their custody. A great
number of arrests followed. and II has
been apparent from developments re-
Gently that this nest Of plotters had
been the headquarters Of about all the
Austro-German spies In Italy.
A s~indIer or q spy7
The story of Count Luca Cortese,"
the bogus NeapOlitan nObleman who
carried on an astounding series Of
swindles. was very different. Count
Cortese was arrested nominally for
swindling q Roman bank out Of 1866.
As q matter Of fact, II is very well
understood that his operations amount
ed to vastly more and his booty Is
estimated ut 81 $4,000.
=,
the case, many people being convinced
that the count was in fact an espionage
officer of the enemy countries, and the
funds advanced TO him under the
guise of frauds were somehow or other
provided by either Vienna or Berlin.
The Italian government has refused to
accept this view, and all comment on
the case has been required StudiOusly
to avoid even the suggestion that es-
pionage was involved.
One of his first ventures was the
creation of n trust including practi-
cally all the italian dramatic interests.
He paid unreasonable prices for con-
troll Of many concerns, and not only
subsidized the companies but doubled
the salaries Of actors. supplied &C.
tresses with expensive clothing and
jewelry, leased theaters for long runs,
bought newspapers, founded a new
publishing house to bring out a dra-
matte review suited to his own special
performances, negotiated the purchase
of Italian rights on foreign plays with
the object of monopOlizing their pro-
duction in Italy and encouraged play
wrights to compose Italian plays and
operas for him.
By way of ingratiating himself with
the moral sentiment OF the community,
he was particularly strong for the
moral regeneration Of the stage. He
devoted much attention to projects OF
this sort, winning the support of influ
entail Catholics by his projects for ex-
GLIDING actors and actresses of dubi-