The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-25
Especial Correspondence.)

Saints, if that be possible for such as you. The Court orders that you shall
 be shot"
 Those terrible words were address
 ed by the President of a Court-Mar-
 tial at Lille to Louis Richard, young Frenchman, who confessed to
 betraying so of his countrymen, who were shot by the Germans. Mons. Delaubier, director of the
 French Red Cross Society in Roubaix,
 told how, in 1915, Richard went to
 his office, how he asked for particu- lars of the secret organization for assisting fugitives to escape from the occupied territory. He came to my off1ce,' said Mons. Delaubier, "and
 asked me to tell him of the commit tee, organized by Mons. Jacquet, the schoolmaster, who was shot by the Germans. He told me that he wanted to aid a fugitive, and I, God forgive me, I believed him. told him certain | things and Mons. Jacquet was ar-
 rested and shot"
 I Am Guilty!
 Richard could stand it no longer.
 Rising from his feet in the dock, he flung out his arms, and with dis | torted features, almost screamed at the Judge, Mons. le President, it is true that I am guilty of betraying these people. but I was forced to do it. The Germans beat me with whips until agreed to do their bid ding. I confess my guilt
 "I deny you were forced to do this work. You volunteered for it." The words rang out cold and clear in the little Court, which was crowded with people.
 "Mons. le President, swear I was forced"
 once again, deny the truth of
 that The court has before it your own letter to the Germans, offering
 to do this work for payment" It was Major Schoeffer, the Prosecutor, who spoke. You lie as you have ever
 lied" he continued. You volunteered to do this foul work"
 Telling of how the prisoner betrayed Mons. Jacquet, a witness said-"Mons
 Jacquet was the organizer sn -1ii1e of the Secret Committee for Aiding
 Fugitives. Mons. Jacquet acted with
 Nurse CavelI, and Richard was or dered by the Germans to attempt to discover the secret organization and those connected with 1t. His first step was to interview Mons. De1aubier in
 Roubafx, to whom he posed as a pa
 triotic Frenchman anxious to aid his country.
 Against Nurse Cavell. Mons. DeIaubier gave Richard a let ter addressed to Mons. Jacquet in
 Lille. Ultimately the spy. succeeded
 in making Mons. Jacquet believe he
 was a loyal. Frenchman, and allowed
 him to have possession of certain
 facts concerning the organization.
 Richard reported these things to the
 Germans, and he was instructed to
 continue to play the role, and there cannot be little doubt but that this scoundrel was largely Instrumental in arousing the suspicious of the Ger mans against Nurse Cavell. In letters and reports Richard made to the Ger mans, Nurse Cavell's house in Brus- sells was mentioned several times. On one occasion a number of fugf- tives were to be conducted from the Lille district, and 1t had been ar ranged by the Committee that the men should, at various spots, meet guides, who would conduct them to places of safety. Richard knew the whole plan, betarayed it to the Germans, and the fugitives, with Mons. Jacquet, the heroic schoolmaster of Lille, and three of his helpers-Mons. Martens, vertruiescest and Deconnik-were ar rested. All the heroes were condemn
 cd to death. and two days later were led out for execution.
 Kaiser Intervenes. "On the day after these noble sons
 of France died.' said the witness,
 .'Richard was walking about Lille, wearing new clothes, ana spending money in cafes. He made no secret
 he had received payment from the Germans"
 Tn the towns of RoubaiX, Maubeuge,
 and Hautmont he caused the arrest of no less than S5 persons. Many of these victims were shot, while others
 were sentenced to long terms of inn prisonment.
 Not content with drawing a month ly salary of s25 from the Germans,
 together with the payment of 20 to 50 francs for every person he de- nounced Richard levied blackmail
 upon his intended victims, and resort
 ed to robbery From one man in
 Hsutnoont whom he attempted 10
 blackmail. he stole 1000 francs. The
 man inrn ediately reported the rob
 bery to the Germans, with the result that the spy was arrested and tried. He was sentenced to six years inn prisonment for the crime of 1916, and was taken to Germany to serve his sentence.
 While in prison Richard wrote an appeal to the Kaiser. In this he pro- tested his admiration for Germany and the Germans, told of his services to the German cause, protested his loyalty to Germany. mentioned the names of many of his victims whose deaths he had brought about, and finished up with an appeal for par don and permission to be naturalized as a German. He was granted a par don, and again entered the service of the Germans
 Attempted Assassination.
 Once free, he hunted loyal French ] citizens relentlessly, redoubling his eff forts for the Germans. He worked in ! Belgium. but the Belgians suspected him of treachery and an attempt . was made upon his life in Brussels He. however, escaped uninjured, and fled from the city. to turn up as a French policeman in Roubaix, where, however. he was too well known to be of any great service to the Ger mans. After the German retreat Rich ard had the audacity to return to Lille, where he was arrested.
 The traitor was asked whether he had anything to say. In a raItering voice he commenced to plead that his life might be spared 'I confess my