New-York tribune., 1919-05-21
Nine. Victorica
u. W itness at
Treason Trial
Confessed Spy Says Germans
Heed Bible and Invisible
ink TO Send Messages to
This Country During War

ur,s Marie K. de Victorica, Teutonic
uonsnt Of Continental intrigue in the
un;tsd States, was produced yesterday
witness for the government against
,.r willard Robinson, on trial before
,usrs Learned Hand in the Federal
n;..rict Court on an indictment charg
.reason. She told how the German
admiralty planned to keep open the
.vsnnes OF communication between this
,ountry and Germany after we entered
,bs war. and revealed that Bible was
r,sd 10 convey secret communications
ur;tten in invisible ink.
According to the indictment, Robin
son was used as messenger by Nine.
victorica and her associate, Carl Roe
d;ger. to convey messages 10 Holland
which were intended for the German
sdmiralfv. Yesterday she said she was
Introduced to Robinson by Jeremiah A.
oTearv in d chop suey restaurant near
Columbus Circle. She said that after
conversation. while OIeary walked up
and down the floor, Robinson expressed
willingness 70 undertake the mission
TO Holland
Message on Blank Pages
4 gave him Bible. on the blank
hack pages of which / had written
secret messages in invisible ink" she
said on direct examination by Assist
ant United States Attorney Robert
Stephenson Il told him to deliver the
message TO the German Consul Cen
era at Rotterdam and say that he
wanted to cross into Germany. When
Robinson returned he brought the
Bible and 1t contained the answer. tell
;ns me TO come home even if I had
to return by way OF South America.
It was written in invisible ink and in
code | developed the message with
iodine tablets.
The woman then explained that she
had writteh to her superiors in the
German admiralty that her creden-
tials had not arrived and that she was
very much discouraged with conditions.
The Bible was produced in court and
identified BY the witness.
Where did you get the invisible ink
with which you wrote the messages
carried abroad by Robinson?" inquired
Mr. Stephenson
Il brought it with me soaked In
white neckties and this is one of
thenl," responded Nine Victorica. eX-
hbitiHg tie.
Tells of Big Defence Fund
She said that when she wss sent to
this country her salary was liked at
$1,000 . month and in edition She
was given $4,000 to use for disburse-
ments. This fund was not 10 be used
unless she was appreaended and needed
ii for court expenses.
William Travers Jerome, attorney
for the defence. when ne took up the
summation, asked tic witness
vhe.her she knew she was under in
dietment for an offence punishable by
death
Sae replied that she had full knowl
edge Of her position. then said that
prior to her Indictment She had made
several signed statements in the office
Of the United States Attorney. Dur
ing her lnterrogations there, she said,
1t was often intimated that there was
Big Irish plot il this country, but this
theory was not correct.
What We're You to do for the propa
sanda division in this countrv?n Mr..
Jerome asked
Make reports she answered.
Some of Her Activities
What kind Of reports ." pressed
the attorney.
Reports on conditions. The activ-
mes Of the German Catholics in the
prosecution Of the war, on the arrange
ments between the German government
and the leading German Catholics in
regard TO the demands that had been
presented for long time, about the
promises made TO the German Catholics
a. TIE Peace Conference concerning the
International position OF the Holy See.
lae interest taken by German Catholics
IN H'sh affairs and TO investigate and
.sp0s' what the general situation
Did you ever tell Robinson ?"
Never 4 word"
= -Dld you ever tell O'Leary anything
sooas this - was asked.
a Sever word, She replied.
,.s 9ae admitted that she mad the drug
.sOi. 'of more than twenty years. She
ssssf'ed tina; she had travelled all over
s'e word but sand It was impossible
y 'e'' the exact time she was in diff
.s zen c'antries or cities. She said
~ 'naerited more than $4,000 marks
,.sm 6. ner first husband In regard to
,.:, ,ss 10000 fund in this country she
s'e s'i was spent except $4,000, which
rs'd e.. se'zed by me Alien Property