The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-07-16
SPY IS NEUTRAL;
/ SELLS TO BOTH
NimbIe Swiss Gets French and
German Money, but Lands
In Prison.
IS CONNECTED WITH OTHERS
Republic Anxious to Keep Out Of Trou.
bic, but IL Nest Of PIotters-Es-
pIonaGe Trials Daily
NJ Occurrence.


Berne.-A remarkable spying feat
was executed by a Swiss citizen named
Luginbuhl. He succeeded in getting
paid from both sides, the French as
well as the Germans, receiving profit
able favors from both, and finally
Luginbuhl was one of twenty-one de-
PENDANTS In a celebrated espionage
ease just concluded In a local court.
With one exception all were found
guilty, including Luginbuhl. Sentence
was deferred.
Luginbuhl a anxious to buy wool
waste In France. He wanted to sell
1t In Germany where he could get an
immense price for 1t. To get the wool
out of France Luginbuhl had to obtain
permission from the French authori-
ties. He got into touch with French
agents and spies doing business in
Switzerland. who afterward were his
codefendants In the trial, and upon his
promise that he would make n trip
into Germany. find out certain things
the French spies were anxious to know
and report back, he would obtain per-
mission to take the wool out of France.
Told Germans Of Deal.
To sell the wool In Germany Lugin-
buhl made his trip into the kaiser's
domain, as promised, but he did more
than he had promised. He told Ger
man officials all about the deal he had
made with the French spies, where
upon the Germans were kind enough
to write q report which Luginbuhl took
back to Switzerland and handed over
to his French friends, who paid him
$500 for II. Luginbuhl at that time
already had In his pocket the hand
ONE profit he had made on the sale
Of French wool In Germany. What
the Germans had paid him for double
crossing the French was not disclosed
during the trial.
1t took eight days to try the case.
Mourgeot. a French officer, was the
principal defendant In absentia. He
had escaped before he could be arrest
ed. The judge In pronouncing the ver-
iict Of guilty said Mourgeot had
broken the word of honor given by
al officer when he escaped from a hos
pital. He was found guilty OF hav-
Ing organized the French spy system
in Switzerland. He hired German de-
serters to tell him all they knew. All
this was, however, only a minor Of
Tense. according to Swiss law.
Had Many Activities.
His principal crime was treason
committed against the Swiss republic.
He observed the movement Of Swiss
troops near the French border and
kept the French army command post
ed about them. He hired men to
watch the transportation of cattle. He
tried to poison cattle In railroad trains
by putting poison in the cars. He or
ganixed q conspiracy to foment a strike
In the aluminium works at Chippis,
which we're sending goods to Germany,
and tried to destroy the electrical plant
at Waldshut.
Three Of his tools were French
men. who also succeeded In eluding
the Swiss law. 1t was discovered al
the trial that these men made 1t their
business to buy factories that were
selling to Germany. They bought the
factories with French money and made
an immense profit for themselves b,
the transaction.
The most prominent Of the Swiss de-
PENDANTS was DIR. Bruestlein, a lawyer
Revelations disclosing his activities
created a sensation In all Swftzer
land. The court condemned him Sc.
verely. Among the ether defendants
were q Swiss army sergeant and an
army policeman. Both were found
guilty Of taking French money for
furnishing information about army
movements.
The whole of Switzerland seems to
be Z hotbed Of spies. Espionage trials
r going on almost continuously In
many Of the cities. Germans, Aus.
TRANS and Italians are implicated as
well as the Swiss themselves. The
public Is usually excluded from these
trials because Switzerland wants t.
avoid as much as possible being drawn
into the ramiications Of spydon
which might ~jeopardize the neutrality
Of the republic.