Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12

Marie de VuSSiere, the beautiful
blond weman of Antwerp" but the
authentic story Of her activities,
detection and arrest has never been told.
Though she had been sought by the British
Secret Service since 1914. 1t was the Secret
Ink Bureau of Mis- that finally proved her
nemesis.
Nine de Victorica was the most daring and
dangerous spy encountered in American his
tory Her activities in the United states pc
tween her arrival and arrest comprise story
OF ruthless espionage ana wholesale oesCruc-
ton that surpaSSeS the widest fantasies OF the
most imaginative fctionists But. like many
other German spies. Nine. Victorica did not
reckon with our skilled chemists, whose glass
test-tubes and varicoiored liquids at last I'M
did her.
On November 5 1917. the British authorities
0ave us information which. though it had no
direct bearing Nine. Victorica, finally leo
indirectly to her identity.
We were informed that a German agent OF
unknown name and nationality had recently
left Spain for the United States with in
structions to pay $4,000 to A. c. Fellows, Il
Sinclair avenue, Hoboken. N j., ana, II not
feasible, to x Lamb. 43 East avenue, Wood
side Long Island. Names and addresses nave
been changed all through this story
Investigation at these addresses showed that
both persons had disappeared The addresses
were then placed under continuous ana care
full observation.
Two months later in January 1918. we
intercepted a letter addressed to Fellows which,
though mailed in New York. bore the legend
"Madrid November 3rd, 1917" This was two
days before the cate of the British warning
THE letter itself was vague, and though the
chemists worked over 1t feverishly they
failed to develop secret writing This was
very discouragirg. for as yet the Secret-ihk
laboratory haa not distinguished itself. Four
DAVIS afterward late in the afternoon one OF
our agents breathess with excitement rushed
into the laboratory.
another letter addressed to Fellows!" he
exclaimed After both sides OF the envelope
had been photographed it was steamed open
and a letter written in English, was extracted
The letter was headed Dear Mrs. Gerhardt
and was signed Maud" On the race OF IT,
it was harmless enough: 1t told how our
mutual friend Frank" had been Ill for some
time. but added that he had recovered and was
now about to resume his business. Maud
the writer said that she would "rNe W
Prank" in the near future. That was all
However it must be remembered that spy
letters were usually written in this tenor. In
the jargon of spies, illness means that ore Is
under observation and cannot carry on his
activities: TO recover means that ne mas eluoeu
observation or is no longer under suspicion.
Furthermore the envelope was addressed TO
Fellows but the letter addressed to Mrs
Gerhardt the letter was signed Maud out
the envelope bore the return address OF D. Grain,
932 East 1o8th street. New York.
On top of that. the letter had to be tested
Tor secret INK. LIE CLcuhSI ouPR0N
in chemicals and traced it across the letter
At the third attempt faint traces OF Invisible
writing appeared
ui1-S written in .F' ink-here's secret writ
ing" he exclaimed. "in German script"
GLOW long will it take to develop all the
letter?"
TT may take all night. This is an important
SOY letter and We will have to work carefully
in order not to injure the paper. We may wish
to restore the secret writing"
While the chemists carefully developed the
secret writing and prepared a translation our
agents in New York were discovering some very
curious things.
The return address on the envelope 932
East 1O8th street, was q rooming house. but
no one by the name Of D. Grain lived here
However quiet investigation Of the roomers
revealed one Allison, a steward on the S. S.
Christianiafjord which was now docked in New
York Under severe grueling he gave the fol-
lowing story:
Just before he sailed from Christiania, Nor
way, a porter in the Metropole Hotel gave him
two letters to smugge into the United States
and mail in New York, one to A. c. Fellows
and the other to Mrs. Hugo Gerhardt, $50 West
Ninety-sixth street After arrival he obtained
new envelopes the original ones being badly
damaged. and readdressed the letters
And now occurred one Of those fatal CO.
medicines which, though not permitted IN
fiction nevertheless shape the lives and destinies
Of everybody.
Allison. after readdressing the letters in
advertently placed them in the wrong
envelopes! The one intended for A. c. Fellows