Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-02-27
TRIcKED BY DETECTIVES
False News Manufactured SO That
Germany Might Be Misinformed-
Spies Were of Very Little
Service to Germany.

spies caught in this country and con-
demned to death were fastened in a
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
it with his own money. It is to him
a priceless relic of the great war.
Gerfnany's Wanted spy system,
like the overboomed German navy
hardly realized expectations. There
were, it is true, a gleat 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 it's magnificent navy. 1t did it's
work as silently and effectively, and
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 a matter of fact, the naval in
telligence department, under Rear Adj
miral Hall, acting in conjunction
with the censor's department, provid-
ed false information to the Germans,
an instance being the mythical Strait
of Dover submarine barrage revealed
by Sir Roger Keyes.
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-
diately they were detected. The Brit
ish secret service, ever considerable,
allowed them to send and receive let
tiers and collect information, but it 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 fnesse, 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
to a bourne from which not even
German spy returns. The British Sc
cret service kindly acted as the spy's
deputy.
Executed in Tower
The execution Of these spies is nat
urally an unpleasant subject, but none
the less interesting. After the secret
trial and condemnation to death the
spy was taken to the tower, there to
await the dread summons in the early
hours Of the morning. Taken from
his cell' by 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
firing party, usually eight men, from
the battalion of guards on duty at the
time.
A low instruction from the officer
in command to aim at the heart,
sharp order "Fire!" a 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,
and, coming to the conclusion that it
would be just as effective, to say moth
ing of considerably cheaper, it was
decided to shoot all spies at the tow
er. Eight cartridges at three cents
each was a much more appropriate
valuation of a German.
Of the female spies much doubt
less will be written by fiction writer's
of the future. Like the men, they sue
ceeded in getting comparatively little
information of value out OF the coun-
try. Most Of them, neither young nor
beautiful like the spy of the story
writer, are languishing behind prison
walls and will remain there for some
years to come. British chivalry for
babe their execution.