Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-20
"Vamping" Spies An
Indoor Sport for
Marion Leonhardt

With at least twenty scaips OF
dangerous German aliens at her
slender waists and perfectly willing
to go after more when duty calls her.
Miss Marion Hill Leonhardt. cham
pion woman spy catcher Of the
United States secret service, Is In
Los Angeles for rest and recreation,
says a dispatch to the Chicago Her
aid Examiner.
Miss Leonhardt performed most Of
her services for the government I'M
der the direction Of Forrest c. PEN
dleton. chief of the southern division
Of the secret service, but part OF her
career was directly under Bruce BIZ
elaski, chief Of the entire service.
Miss Leonhardt is known to be the
spy chaser who was responsible for
the undoing Of Count Won Bernstorff.
but she would give no details Of the
exploit Posing as an abused Ger
man girl. who found it difficult to Sc
cure employment in the United
States because Of her German name
and sympathiee, she secured en-
ployment with the the ambassador
at Washington and learned things
the government wanted to know
about-the embassy's part in pro-
German plots.
my name, spelled with the Ger
man twist, and my knowledge of
German were my biggest assets in
the work." she says. Il was a MEM
Der of all the German associations
and clubs and was so active in them
that several times I was reported as
being a German spy. That pleased
me nightly. for it showed was
getting away with 1t In pretty good
shape.
THAT little scar on my lip is a
memento of a particular occasion.
We were chasing q German in an
automobile when it skidded and
threw us out.
~ suppose I was confidential Sec
rotary to at least a dozen German
spies. all of whom are now in intern
ment camps. and I hope they stay
there. I took my life in my hands
every day during my work and 1t
wouldn't be very safe now II one Of
my victims got loose and met me in
a dark alley.
"My method was to seek employ
ment from the men I wanted to catch.
I would go to them with a story Of
how hard 1t was for me to get EN-.
ployment in America because Of my
German name and German sympa-
thies. played myself for a German
for all there was in 1t. l did 1t so
we'll that the Red Cross in New Or
leans refused me the privilege of
joining in their work.
Zone of the men I went to see
about advertising liked me so we'll he
took me to lunch and then to dinner.
In two weeks he was interned. That
was the way with most Of them.
They all wanted to take me out to
eat and talk. It seemed they just
had to talk to some one and the
looseness of their tongues was often
their undoing. With q sympathetic
listener they would tell everything
they knew and when the meal was
over. and had a chance to break
away from them, the things they had
told were soon known to my chief.
There was one man at Pensacola.
Fla, whom we wanted very much.
and I was sent there to get him. He
didn't respond to my usual vampire
methods and hardly knew what to
do. but. as surprising as it sounds. I
got him through Liberty bonds.
While 1 was trying to plan q method
to get to him the Liberty Loan CAM
paign came on and they asked me to
manage the campaign at Pensacola.
Il went to this German. explained
that it was against my principles to
have anything to do with Liberty
bonds. but that I would be an object
Of suspicion II I refused. I was ap-
parently greatly perturbed and asked
his advice as to what I should do.
He advised me to manage the cam.
paign. and in seeking his confidence
in the way had I soon gained his
and he is in an interment camp.
II think the funniest thing that
happened was in New Orleans. I
was then engaged as confidential sec.
rotary to a German I was after.
One day he said to me: II know the
United States government is after
me. and think maybe I could stop
them II could get something on
Pendleton." -Des Moines Capital.