Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-20

uiaintancc of olga Won Marx at re-
ception held at the abode of Frau
Anton SchultZc. in the observation-disclosures
platz, Berlin. We became very
friendly.
Although she never confessed to me
She was IA secret service agent, in the
employ of Potsdam. had it ON good
authority that she was Germany's
chief woman spy.
once. on taxing her on the point
she laughingly replied: Il am merely
Il journalist. but one day | will write
a book about German spying-and
will send it TO you in England to
publish"
thought no more about the matter.
considering her promise joke: but
much to my surprise, on the afternoon
OF October -, 1916. ! received at my
private residence by registered post
tpostmark London. w. CD parcel
containing manuscript and accom-
panying t! parcel was letter
couched in the following words:
C--'s Hotel. w. g..
October IL. 1916.
My Dear Friend-DoubtIess you will!
be very surprised to hear from me
after so long silence, and especially
viii you be surprised to know that /
am in London. when England is at
war with Germany. Anyway. rest as
surcd that | have no hostile intent
against the ueaE Ola llOtneElanQ. / am
on my way to the States. where I
shall indulge in farming for a year or
two. and so find. fervcntly hope, the
rest and recuperation l need. l have
done with Germany forever. Her bar
barrie and disgusting methods nave
sickeued me to loathng. After the
war / hope to settle down in the land
that bore my dear mother--old Eng
land tho land OF the free. l send you
my "reminiscences what you like
with them. They should prove inter-
esting reading To the English public.
.idjeu. We shall meet again when
peace is signed in Berlin. Ever your
true friend. o. Won NJ.
OLGA STARTS FOR LIVERPOOL.
On WAY TO NEW YORK
Curiosity naturally at once COM
PEELED me TO pay visit to C-'s
Hotel. whore | found-without sur
prisc-;hat the name OF Olga Won Marx
was not known. on giving a descrip-
ton Of fraulcin, | was told by the re-
ception clerk that a lady answering to
my description had left Euston for
the ll:l5 train that morning. She had
registered as Miss Amelia Johnson, of
Boston, L. :. a."
now propose to give the text OF
FraLlein Won Marks NJ. S. in full.
| Will not begin this story by weary
''iS Vie Ieduel WIN al detailed recital
of my lfe's history, nor shall give the
year in which | first saw the light OF
day. Suffice 1t 10 say that | am still
young enough for men to rest their
eyes on me with appropriations; yet l am
not mans woman. Had l been SO.
should never have been intrusted with
important secret service work on be-
half Of the German government.
1t was owing TO tho death of my
mother that | found myself obliged to
earn my own living. My mother,
should tell YOU. HAD a small private
income. which died with her My
father died when | was quite young
killed in duel with a German officer
in Dresden, TO the credit Of my
mother must at once admit that she
gave me the best education she could
afford AS n promising pupil of the
distinguished soprano. Frau Gleiss, /.
girl OF seventeen, sang at concert
in the Beethoven Hall in Berlin, at
which place YOU will have heard no
! .novices' are allowed to appear.
! Buoyed up hy my success there, / very
much desired to enter grand opera. but
my mother was firm as adamant
against my proposal. In her true Eng
lish, puritanic way. she declared that
opera singers were not respectable
1 members of society; that the life of
woman public singer was cncom-
buSSSu ~ lcUlDldllOnS, In
other words. she considered the lives
Of all public performers immoral"
Although | did not altogether share
her ideas on this highly debatable
question. at length yielded to her en-
treaties TO abandon singing and cult
Naie another talent. which ! was told
! possessed in remarkable degree.
~ an early age | was very adept in
the use OF pen and pencil and often as
n n n I
traits OF friends and relatives which
we're pronounced "lifclikc." At the
age OF fifteen sold TO dealer in
the Fricdrichstrasse a water color
painting had done for 20. and Il little
later ] disposed of short articles on
various subjects to the Beriiner Tagc-
I blatt and the AnZeiger for the same
number of shilings. My mother voted
me very clever girl. and prophesied
that l should get on Had she
drcamt that | should ever enter the
German secret service, | do not know
what she would have sailor done.
In her good old shioned English
way ! am sure she would have de-
nounced all spies as the scum OF the
earth" in which the dear soul would
have been rather wide of the truth
How ! became a Sccrc. service agent
10 the German government then came
about in this way. In the Vossische
HeitunG one morning | happened on
the following advertisements: "Gesucht
wiri Privatsekretarin. Muss Franco
zisch and cnglisch beherrschcn." In
English. "A lady private secretary re-
CURED Must have thorough knowl-
edge of French and English" The
address Civ n was "P. NJ Bristol
Hotel. Berlin.
accordingly answered tho adver-
tisement briefly stating my qualifica-
lions and asking for an appointment.
The next day brought me a reply,
! which ran ,as follows:
Herr Pau Muller requests Fraulein
Q. Won kopf to call upon him to-
morrow morning promptly at II O'Clock
at tho Bristol Hotel"
And promptly was there. Herr
Muller. however, | found was engaged.
was shown by an attendant into n
private waiting room, which COM
mandcd view OF Herr Muller's
study" Presently tho door opened.
and flashly dressed woman emerged
and brushed past me rudely. / knew
the woman by sight. She was any
thing but ~ legitimate applicant for =
secrctaryship. felt sure. Then a mans
voice called through the half-open