The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-03-25
Another Was Hanged and Many
More Are Serving Prison
Terms.
TRICKED BY DETECTIVES
False News Manufactured So That
Germany Might Be Misinformed-
Spies Were of Very Little
Service to Germany.


sergeant-major Of the British military
foot police is peculiarly made leath.
err strap-or, rather, series of straps
for which Madame Tussaud's
doubtless would pay a large sum OF
meney.
1t is the strap with which German
spies caught in this country and con-
demned to death were fastened In q
special chair at the Tower of London
prior to being shot. Like wise man,
the sergeant-major had the strap
made to his own design and paid for
1t with his own money. 1t is to him
a priceless relic of the great war.
Germany's Wanted spy system,
like the overboomed German navy
hardly realized expectations. There
were, it is true, a great many spies in
England, both before and after the
war acting on behalf of the kaiser.
Most of them were neutrals, and came
originally from South American
states.
The British secret service resem-
bled its magnificent navy. 1t did its
work as silently and effectively, and
the necessary reticence observed as to
It's doings contributed very materially
to the discontinue felt by the Ger
man government owing to the mis-
leading information which "fell'' into
German hands.
Mythical Barrage in Channel.
AS q matter of fact, the naval In
telligence department, under Rear Ad-
miral Hall, acting In conjunction
with the censors department provid-
ed false information to the Germans,
an instance being the mythical Strait
of Dover submarine barrage revealed
by Sir Roger Reyes.
Nearly all Germany's spies In this
country attempted to forward their
information by post. But thanks to
the censor's staff it was rarely these
letters, even although written in In.
visible ink, went undetected.
All spies were not arrested imme-
dfately they were detected The Brit
fish secret service, ever considerable.
allowed them to send and receive let
tiers and collect information, but 1t re-
served the privilege of opening the
correspondence both ways and max.
ing alterations likely to be of more
use to the allies than to Germany.
1t is difficult to estimate the value
of the information obtained by this
method. The Hun, with his profound
disrespect for British finesse, prob
ably never will believe that Britain
could be guilty of such astuteness.
1t is certain that Germany obtained
very little that was useful from her
spies in England. From the outbreak
of war the ports were too carefully
watched to permit of much leakage. |
Up and down the east and south |
west coasts of England were, how |
ever, many 'hydros," palatial hotels. |
built right on the sea, with large cop
per domes twinkling brightly for many
miles out at sea. And the manager
was often a German.
Eight German spies were executed
In this country, while many more are
undergoing long terms of penal servi-
tude. For obvious reasons the names
of many never were revealed. The
imperial government continued to
communicate with them blissfully
unaware that their agents had gone
60 bourne from which not even a
German spy returns. The British Sc
cret service kindly acted as the spy's
deputy.
Executed in Tower.
The eA acution of these spies is nat
urally an unpleasant subject, but none
the less Il teresting. After the scorer
|
spy was taken to the tower, there to
await the dread summons in the early
hours of the morning. Taken from
his cell by q party of military police
the spy was strapped to a chair in a
quadrangle of the tower. There, fac
ing him, about ten PAGES distant, was
a firing party, usually eight men, from
the battalion of guards on duty at the
time.
A low instructio from the officer
in command to aim at the heart, a
sharp order ''Fire" burst of flame,
and the crack of eight rifles had end
ed the career of another of Germany's
tools.
One spy was hanged at Norwood
Scrubs prison; seven others were
shot, The hanging cost about 500,
md, coming to the conclusion that it
would be just as effective, to say moth !
ng of considerably cheaper, it was
decided to shoot all spies at the tow | .
r. Eight cartridges at three cents
ach was a much more appropriate
laluation of q German.
OF the female spies much doubt.
ess will be written by fiction writer's ,
f the future. Like the men, they sue. :,
eeded in getting comparatively little
lformation of value out of the cOun.
~ Most of them, neither young nor
eautiful like the spy of the story
ritter, are languishing behind prison :
'alls and will remain there for some ;,
ears to come. British chivalry for = !,
u