The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-19
four Held AS
GERMAN AGENTS
Continued from page ID

4 4NENlsE ANGAE prosecution
The four spy suspects have beef
under surveillance for several weeks
but not until two Of them. a WON,
an styling herself Madame Despins
Davidovitch Storch, and an assoc,
late, designated as Baron Henri d.
Neville, departed for Cuba one weel
ago after a mysterious two-day
junket to Washington, did the auth
critics consider their apprehension
advisable.
The other two suspects are known
as Madame Elizabeth Charlotte Nil
and Count Robert De Clairmont
| Count De Clairmont, the authorities
say, was frequently seen in the
| company Of Edmund Rousselot Cas-
| tillo, erstwhile SIS q week telephone
/ clerk, who, posing as the Marquis
| De Castillot, opened negotiations
with J. p. Morgan and company
| several weeks ago for a loan Of $780,
| 100000 for King Alfonso OF SPAIN
| OF whom he claimed to be q personal
| representative.
Seize Papers In Deposit.
When Madame Storch and Baron
| De Beville were taken into custody
at Key West while en- route to Cuba.
| a half bushel of papers was seized
1 from a safe deposit box i'm this city
which one OF them had rented. A
number Of cable messages in code
were among these papers.
Because Of embarrassment which
/ they said might result between the
American state department and a
neutral government which was not
| specified, authorities withheld COM
ment on certain features of the in
vestigation, particularly in connec-
ton with one Of the women under
detention.
Gives History OF Case.
Superintendent De Woody gave
| the following detailed history Of the
| four suspects;
Madame Storch, also known as
Madame Nezie, Madame Hesketh
and Baroness De Beville, claims to
have been born in Constantinople %
years ago. She married Paul Storch,
a Frenchman, from whom she was
| divorced in 1912. She was a familiar
| figure in fashion hotels Of London,
Madrid, Lisbon and at the Waldorf
and Biltmore in New York city.
She has claimed intimate asso-
citation with very prominent officials
of foreign governments. At the
Savoy hotel in London she is known
to have been in the company Of a
prominent British official on numer-
Gus occasions. There she was known
as Madame Hesketh. 1t was dur
| ing this time that authorities first
| became interested in her activities.
"A short time later, Madame
| Storch was reported to be en- route
| to this country, but was next located
| in Madrid in association with offic-
| iaIs of the German secret service.
Although Madame StoTch's liv-
II
| 81 900 monthly since coming here
the sources of her income have been
unsatisfactory. She admits hav-
ing received $4,000 from an Of
fetal Of a foreign government just
prior TO coming here, and subse-
quentIy received three remittances
of 81 900 each which she claims were
loans from friends
Secure French Passports.
while living in Madrid with
Baron De Beville in 1915, they were
accused and apprehended as being
German spies. but secured their re-
lease and went to Cuba and later
continued to this country.
Last February Madame Storch
obtained a rench passport under the
name of Storch to return to Cuba.
up to this time as Madame Nezie.
Then il was noted that the Baron De
Beville under that name, also had
obtained French passport for Cuba.
Quite Unexpectedly they went to
Washington for two days, staying
at the Shoreham hotel, and then re-
turned to New York. They were
here a week, then, one week ago,
departed for Cuba, but were taken
off the boat at Key West and
brought back.
since then they have been
guests Of the government at an
uptown hotel where they occupied
apartments continually under guard.
Among their associates were
Madame Nix and Count De Clair
mont. Madame Nix is a German
alien, II years OF age, and was born
in Berlin. Her maiden name was
Hermann.
Poses as Woman's Husband.
Count De Clairmont claims to
have been born in Sumatra, Danish
East Indies, and says he came to the
United States in 1905. In 1912 he
went to Europe and in 1913 entered
Germany, remaining a short time;
then proceeding with Madame Nix
to France, and Genoa, Italy. In De-
cember, 1913, they arrived in the
United States travelling as Mr.. and
Mrs. Roberts. Since they have gone
about thes country considerably, the
count posing as the woman's hus-
band.
Madame Nix's explanation OF her
means OF income are quite as I'M
satisfactory as are those Of Madame |
Stcrch. She admits having re- |
ceived $4,000 from Count Won Bern /
storff, formerly German ambassa-
dor. shortly before his departure |
from the country. This she says, |
was a loan
THE French embassy gives no l
to any Of these per-
sons, but regards them with sus-
picion. Their many activities, mild
" stated, gives abundant reason to
41,a