The Washington herald., 1919-02-23

in obtaining valuable information.
The two men had been working in con-
junction with each other. and IL was
thought to be in keeping with the fit
ness OF things that they should die In
the same chair from the bullets Of the
same firing party. in the rife range
where their predecessors had paid the
last penalty.
"B' was one OF the most valuable
spy captures England made. A hand
some-looking nan of about 80 years OF
age, s feet high. he remained aosO-
lutely cool from the time Of his arrest
until his career ended. Taken TO
Wandsworth prison to await trial. he
caused the authorities much perturba-
tion by his attempts at suicide. On
one occasion he nearly succeeded in
bleeding himself TO death by forcing
his arms through the window of his
cell. The crash OF the glass reused
the guard. Bleeding profusely. "B-
was found standing in his cell, a lars-
hole in the window testifying to his
desperate efforts to escape justice.
''B" took his condemnation at the
subsequent court-marual very coolly.
He gave no trouble afterward, and
went to his death on July 30 with
calmness which was perhaps not alto
gether assumed.
A quarter of an hour later IBIS" ac-
complice. &C" was led forth under
military escort. and was placed in
the chair from which only a few min
utes previously the dead body OF his
fellow spy had been removed.
Scorned His Cnptors.
CO. had treated his captors with
the arrogance typical OF the Prus-
sian officer from the time OF his
arrest; he exuded insolence to the
last. Coming into the rife range.
he was smoking a cigarette and un-
cOncernedly puffed at IL while the
preparations for his execution went
on. Ordered to seat himself in the
fatal chair. he took a last pun at
his cigarette, held ii UP in his fin-
gers and then, with a supreme ges-
ture as Of indifference and contempt
TO everything the earth might hold.
threw it upon the floor and, sat in
the chair without another word. As
the straps fastening his legs and
arms to the chair were being. buck
led his face momentarily twitched
that was all.
Little further time was wasted
by the military police in charge.
The eyes OF the doomed man were
tightly bandaged, his chest barred
to the cold morning air. The order
to fire rang out, and with the burst
of flame from eight rifles one OF
Germany's most trusted spies had
terminated his early career.
"B" and &C. were both aristo-
cratic. well educated men able to
speak many languages, and Of
type to pass muster in any society.
They were thoroughly well known
in the fashionable West End OF
London and their capture put an
end to what might have been eN-
tremely dangerous operations. &C.
in particular was an exceedingly
grave menace to the cause OF the
allies: he had mixed with many
prominent people in London and had
undoubtedly secured much naval
and military knowledge, informa-
ton which secret service vigilance
prevented him from getting through
to his Fatherland.
Throughout the war Germany en-
ployed many curious looking speci-
mems OF humanity. but il is doubtful il
any more freakish individual was in
the enemy service than II" executed
on september ~. lrlD. WIS All
elderly man. probably about 60 years
old. five feet ten inches in height
and so cross-cyed that the glasses
he wore merely accentuated the dis
fgurement slow speaking. deliber-
ate man. he gained a certain amount
Of information because he resembled
in no way anybody's preconceived no.
ton of what a spy ought to look like
He was caught in the act. tamper-
ing with naval documents. and, like
a wise man. made no fuss. He knew
he was doomed from the outset. and
took everything connected with his
trial and subsequent condemnation as
a ma tier of course. While in Wands-
worth Prison he caused the authoTi-
ties no trouble. and on being taken
to the Tower OF London on the day
before his execution, merely exhibited
mild curiosity as to where he was 60
ing. You will see soon enough" the
A p. NJ in charge OF the prisoner
grimly told him. and he said no more.
Like all the other spies executed At
the Tower. p spent his last night
on earth within its time-hallowed and
forbiddinC precincts. Led forth in the
dim grey of a September morning. he
listened unmoved to the reading Of
the sentence of death. He wore his
glasses right up to the time his eyes
were bandaGed When the sergeant
major in charge told him to remove
them. he carefully took them OF, me-
chanicallv started to dust them with
his handkerchief. then smiled sadly,
put his handkerchief back in his
pocket, handed them over, and went
to his death with the utmost COM
posture,
Peruvian Caught.
or all spies caught here during the
war the most dapTer was little Peru
Wan whom I must call IF" A chirpy
little fellow. only five feet four inches
in height, he came to England. os-
teusihly as a commercial agent, at
the instigation of one Of the German
ministers in South America When
arrested he had on him p most elaho-
rate set of false papers. Smartly
dressed. 9ble to mix in good society.
he nevertheless proved velueless to
Germany because none of his infor-