The Washington herald., 1919-02-17
BEAUTIFUL spy
FAILS IN RUSE
Uncloaks But Nudity Fails
to Stop Firing Squad
of Allies.

New York. Feb. I6-Real dramatic
interest attaches to portrait OF
Frieda Meter. painted by Sir William
Orpen, and now shown in the exhibit
tion OF British war pictures in the
Anderson galleries. The woman was
a young Hungarian. who went to Bel
gium early in the war. ingratiated
herself with the French and Belgian
officers by her beauty and vivacity,
and after making captive many
hearts. was exposed as a German spy
and executed.
Robert Nichols. young British
poet, is responsible for the story OF
the girl. which Is one OF the most re-
markabIe which has come out of the
war. He came here in December to
recuperate from shell shock. which
he suffered in the British military
service. and he is the guest of Fred
erick Macmonnies, the sculptor. Yes
terday he visited the galleries, and
pair of Orpen pictures of the girl re-
called to him the entire episode.
Frieda had relied entirely upon her
physical charms to carry out her
plans. and when finally facing the
firing squad she sought to cheat
death by one of the most daring ruses
in the annals Of warfare.
story Told by Poet.
This is the story Mr.. Nichols told:
Under the mask of a refugee
from the despotism of Hungarian
rule. FrIeda Meter came to Belgium,
where for more than two years, al
though constantly under suspicion
as a spy, she managed to evade ar
rest. The secret OF her success was
the charm she exercised over the
French and Belgian officers. She
was ravishing beauty, with
masses of golden hair and innocent
blue eyes. There was not an offi-
Ger with whom she came in con-
tact that did not fall victim to her
bewitChing face and form.
But. as is true of all spies, she
finally overreached herself and drew
to the notice of the intelligence de-
partment evidence of her operations
too clear to be misunderstood.
She was tried by a military court
and ordered to be shot at drawn
of the following day. She accepted
the findings without emotion and
without protest, but she said she
had one request to make the court.
This was that she be permitted to
face her eXeCutiOners in costume
OF her own choosing. The request
was granted.
Wore Handsome Cloak.
THE following morning Frieda
Meter was led into the courtyard of
- front
ed by a firing squad commanded by
an officer. who, before her exposure,
had long been an ardent admirer.
she wore most magnificent cloak
CT dark blue velvet trimmed with fur.
which completely covered her. She
lid not hutter an eyelid. but was as
cool and seIf-possessed as though she
had not a care in the world. She had
nothing to say The firing squad
formed itself about twenty PAGES from
her. She was not even blindfolded.
d" Get ready" rang out the officers
command.
The soldiers raised their rifles.
p" one,
= Two The officer counted sharp
Is.
With the word two the beautiful
woman threw Off her cloak, letting II
fall slowly to the ground. ana revealed
herself stark naked to the astonished
officer and men.
1T was clear in an instant TO the
officer that the spy had sought by this
display of her compelling beauty to
win from him n reprieve.
Only Moments Pause.
There was n pause for a moment,
when the officers rcsolute voice again
was heard. this time uttering the
fateful Three"
There was n crash OF rifles, and
Frieda Meter fell in a heap to the
Ground. her career ended
The two pictures OF F'rieda Meter
at the exhibit show a very beautiful
woman. one of them in ball costume,
the other wrapped in a blue cloak.
Popular opinion is divided as TO
which of the two is the more strik-
ing.
Both pictures were painted by Sir
William Orpen, and have been the
subject of more comment and in
tCrest probably than almost any
other pictures in this exhibit Vlsi-
tors have been sure there was a
story behind these two pictures of
81, Dot