The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-07-21
ole Italian Secret Police
THEY dtscoyer1 Of German SPIES and use ~.1 Ml

lately been disclosed BY the
Italian police, one the Monte
Cristo tale Of a bogus count
who swindled banks out of q
II - million and-a quarter of dol
- lars and spent the money as
II 1t were water; the other an utterly
dinerent story Of the operations Of the
Italian secret police In detecting and
breaking up vast espionage consp;r-
acy operated from neutral soil.
Some fragments of both stories have
been 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
trian consulate at Zurich has all the
markings Of a>novel Of adventure. The
Italian authorities had information,
even before Italy's entrance into the
war;. that from some neutral quarter
a great conspiracy of espionage was
being engineered in Italy. It became
more and more apparent that this con-
spiracy had its 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
allowed to remain in Italy despite his
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-
pionage in Italy. Secret agents of the
italian Office for special police inves-
legations watched the establishment at
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 a, 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 q movement Of their forces
against Italy.
Expert Burglars Employed.
The story goes that when long-con-
tinued 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 a
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
eould be trusted with great state
secret, and finally were promised their
freedom If they would 60 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,
and provided with plenty of money and
means to disguise themselves and their
business. Then they went away to Zu-
rich, took their own good time and did
a patriotic job in high-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 ad-
jacent to the consular establishment
and not supposed to be occupied by 1t.
It 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 piped for as
phyxiating gas in such fashion that in
reference with the safe would open
the valves and instantly fill the place
with gas. It 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
men was equal to the occasion. They
developed. ultimately a plan for tun-
WAS. VERY "SCRAPPY" MONK