Evening star. [volume], November 06, 1927, Page 2, Image 86

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
2
Smashing of Plot Against France Is Goal of Two Clever Spies
This is the last of the ex
traordinary series of articles by
M. Lucieto, a celebrated ace of
the allied secret service opera
tives during the war.
In previous installments he
has described the work of this
service on land and sea, and the
vast organization of the German
secret service with which they
had to grapple. Last week he
related how the plan of the Ger
man general staff to make a
dash through neutral Switzer
land and to strike the French
and Itlainn armies in the rear,
was blocked* by himself and an
Knglish secret service agent,
who, in the course of their in
vestigation of this ominous de
velopment, of which they had
wind,-chanced to see the famous
Irma Stauh extract a plan from
an umbrella on a restaurant
table. This was being surrepti
tiously conveyed to her by an
o her German spy, and tills
plan, when recovered from her,
revealed to the Swiss authorities
the peril in which they had
stood. The disclosures led to
immediate military measures on
the part of the Swiss to thwart
such an attempt.
BY C HARLES IATIETO.
WHEN’ I examined the docu
ments that Schmidt gave
Irma Staub I found out
about another band just be
ing organized. Its director
was one Meyer, with several aliases,
a member of the famous Lourrach
band.
This fellow claimed to be a natural
ized American, and had often been
pointed out to us. He traveled about
France a great deal.
The document stated that Meyer
would a few days later meet near
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois two French
deserters, who would try to cross the
border near Bellegarde. Meyer would
swear them into the service and give
them details of a commission they
were to perform near Lyon.
Pinned to the document were photo
graphs of the two deserters. Strange
ly enough, these photographs came
from the office in Berlin where they
keep the Bertillon measurements of
people of various sorts. Immediately
ve were faced by the question: “As
these two deserters are Frenchmen,
how does it happen that the German
Information Bureau has their photo
graphs?”
I left at once for Paris to look up
the records of the two deserters. I
had a feeling that the information on
the slip from Berlin was inaccurate.
But not only could I find no trace of
the desertion of men by the names
of Vernier and Gastrat, the names
given on the slip, but their regiments
had never reported their disappear
ance. Who could they be?
I decided to watch the border at the
point where they w-ere going to try
to get get across and left for Belle
garde, from which point I “sent out
feelers” in all directions. Four days
later some French customs men ar
rested Vernier and Gastrat as they
were about to cross into Switzerland.
They were brought to me under
heavy escort. In vain did I attempt to
question them. I was met by the most
complete silence. If they had really
been Frenchmen, even French desert
ers, it is inconceivable that they
should not have attempted to justify
themselves in some way, or tried to
arouse our pity by expressing regret
at having been led to commit such a
crime. I decided to send the* two men
back to Paris and I later heard that
they were German agents. Their true
names were Holzmann (Vernier) and
Junker (Gastrat). The court-martial
made short work of them.
With them out of the way, I
now had to turn my attention to
Rambler Pictures Events Here at Time of Gettysburg Battle
WAR news took more space j
than other news in The!
Star in the Summer of 1863. ]
The Confederate invasion
of Maryland and Pennsyl
vania. ending with the Union victory
at Gettysburg, was the most important
day-by-day news in June and early
July, and military movement* in the
Southwest leading to the Confederate
surreader at Vicksburg occupied much
apace in our paper.
Before the battle of Gettysburg it
was planned to have a 4th pf July cele
bration in Washington. The day was
marked each year by like exercises,
and it was not known that July 4.
1863. would be more outstanding In
history than any other 4t!n
While plans for the celebration were
making, much news from western
Maryland and southeastern Pennsyl
vania—from York, Chambersburg.
Carlisle. Wrightsville and Harrisburg
—was unfavorable to the Union. News
from Gettysburg on July 1, 2 and
the forenoon of the 3d was tinted
for the Union, but Union victories In
earlv dispatches had so often been
Union defeats in late dispatches that
there was uncertainty in Washington
Late in the afternoon and night of
July 3 dispatches confidently told that
Lee had been lieaten at Gettysburg.
Toward noon of the 4th It was told
that I.ee had begun withdrawing
troops in the dim hours of the morn
ing and was retreating toward the
Potomac. It became clear that the
Army of Northern Virginia had met
a costly defeat.
Washington’s Independence day
celebrants met around the City liall
at 10 a.m., formed, and marched to
Third, to the Avenue and to the
rear of the President’s House. The
order of procession was: Band, Hoi
diers of 1812, mayor and city councils
escorted by the Knights Templar,
band, 2d District Volunteers, 39th
Massachusetts Volunteers. 34th Mass
achusetts Volunteers. 14th New Hamp
shire Volunteers, carriages with in- j
vited guests, band, I. O. O. V. under i
W. J. Brown and John Borland.
Prayer was said by Dr. Sunderland. |
th« Declaration of Independence was
read by i*. K. Chittenden, registrar of
the Treasury, and Richard Wallach, j
ntavor of Washington, introduced the j
orator of the day. Gen. Hiram Wal- i
bridge. I have taken this from The
Star's account of the meeting:
“During the delivery of his address, *
Gen. Walbridge, being informed that !
a copy of the extra Star containing j
glorious news from the Army of the ;
Potomac was at hand, gave way in j
order to allow its being read to the J
anxious crowd.” Mayor Wallach read |
the dispatch from Gettysburg, “which
was received with the wildest enthusi
asm by the crowd, who gave three
times three and a figer. The cheers
were succeeded by the ‘Star Spangled
Banner,’ by the Marine Band."
Independence day exercises were
held at Columbian College, Armory
Square. Judiciary Square and at St.
Aloyslus, Douglas, Emory and Carver
Hospitals. No doubt The Star car
ried to the crowds at those places the
news from Gettysburg.
The Rambler does not plainly make
out the situation in Washington in
the Spring and Summer of 1863. The
city was long threatened. Between
Washington and the Army of North
ern Virginia was the Army of the
Potomac, which was not only beat
able but bad been badly—almost dis
astrously—beaten under McDowell,
Burnside, Pope and Hooker. The
southern part of Washington’s popu
lation felt that the South was win
ning, but that part of our people was
almost speechless. A careless word
brought a charge of treason, and the
suspect was taken to Old Capitol
Prison. The Union part of our city’s
j population talked muck; though it
believed that Washington could not
be captured.
I have the feeling that if any Union
aoan had expressed doubt of the im-
Impersonate Two Germans Who in Turn Are Impersonating Frenchmen in Contest of Wits Which Enlivened War Strategy.
Dark Trail Leads to House of Pitfalls and Perilous Revelation —“Deserters" in the Smuggler s Tavern.
Engaged in a Desperate Struggle—The Voice of Irma Stauh.
Mover. The documents found on Irma
Staub seemed to point to the fact that
Meyer was to have commissioned Ver
nier and Gastrat to blow up a factory
at Lyon.
I decided to go to the place, where
I took one of my colleagues with me.
The latter spoke German perfectly,
had an extraordinary amount of intel
ligence. and was an expert in hand-to
hand lighting.
My colleague and I spent the day
studying the photographs, and that
evening we disguised ourselves so well
that it would have been impossible for
a man not previously warned to detect
the substitution.
The meeting was to take place at a
blind tiger, well known along the bol
der. where the smugglers congregated.
This joint had the great advantage of
having two doors: one in France, the
other in Switzerland. The border. or
rather, the Imaginary line ran through
the middle of the room inside.
Moreover, the case was run by one
Borgone, a ferocious individual, whose
fights with the customs officials were
famous, and who had the reputation
of being very pro-German. It was
consequently quite risky to go into his
saloon, as there was always a chance
that one might be recognized. For
that reason we were armed to the
teeth.
Just to get ourselves established as
the people we were supposed to be, we
organized a little byplay that we
thought ought to gain us the imme
diate sympathy of the customers in
the Case Borgone. Chased by police
men and customs officials and, to all
appearances, panic-stricken, we rush
ed into the place.
As soon as he saw that we were
standing safely at the bar, which \.as
in Switzerland, although ihe tables
and benches in front of it were In
France, Borgone asked our pursuers
in a rough tone of voice what they
wanted. They explained to uim that
we were deserters, and perhaps Ger
man spies. Then one of tfee policemen
asked him to put us out, so that thty
could arrest us.
Borgone burst out Into mocking
laughter.
“Why. they aren’t in France any
more! They’re in Switzerland!” He
turned to us.
“Well, boys, do you want to go back
to France?”
“N’ot on your life!” we cried to
gether. , .
“There, you see! They seem to
have taken a liking to this country!
If they don’t want to go hack, I’m
not the one to force them to!”
The policemen went out to make
their report.
Borgone then, after looking us over,
asked:
“What did those policemen want?”
“H I answered, “we’re desert
ers, and you know ...”
“What regiment?”
“The colonial artillery.”
“What section?”
“243.”
He took a dirty note book out of his
poeket.
“That checks! What can I do for
you?”
I looked slyly around the room, then
I remarked: “Haven’t you some place
where we can talk without being over
heard?”
He gave me a long look, then he j
SALEM CHURCH, BETWEEN FREDERICKSBURG AND CHANCELLOR HOUSE. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1906.
pregnability of Washington he would ;
have been charged with disloyalty.)
7 seem to catch the note that Union- i
j ists with money and real estate were
j not easy. I 7*elieve there was a slack- j
j ing in building and in real estate |
I sales, and that such sales were at low !
prices. The Unionist* had had news !
of Union victories that were Union j
j defeats.
I recall that in April. ISG3. the news j
j given to the North was that Hooker, j
then on the north side of tlts* 1 lappa- 1
: hannock, had Ix-e in his power, lie j
! would turn Leo's h-ft west of Banks’!
| Ford, and would attack Ids rear as he, j
J Lee, retreated from his position south j
I of ihe i lappa hannock toward Rich- j
j mond. (Sen. Stoneman. with 10.000 i
j Union Cavalry, was to cross the flap-j
j pahannock west of the Orange and j
: Alexandria Railroad, destroy the Con- j
federate Cavalry, and plant himse’f j
across the line of Lee’s retreat. It j
was all fixed—on paper. Dispatches ;
to the North showed how the plan
would work—and all that. On May 1
the Battle of Chancollorsville began,
and dispatches to the. North told of
Union success. During May 2 dis
patches to the North told that Hook
er was driving Lee south. It is my !
belief that, even on May 3, the wires j
to the North were repot ting a Union |
victory. Then the wires began to tel! I
that, although Lee had been driven i
front his position with mighty losses)
of men and material, the Array of
the Potomac, with numerous casual
ties, was withdrawing to the north
side of the Rappahannock for strate
gic reasons. The North came to j
know that Chancellorsvilie, like Fred- j
1 etlcksburg and the second Manassas, i
. had been a bloody defeat for the
Army of the Potomac.
** * *
. ■ /"\NE month after Chancellorsvilie
I J/-e began his march north. On
i June 3 much of his force was around
: Culpeper. There followed good tight
t ing at Brandy Station, Winchester
and Martinsburg. June 15 Rodes’ di
i vision crossed the Potomac at Wil
• Uamsport. Jenkins' cavalry brigade
THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON. D. C„ NOVEMBER «. 1027 - PART 5.
said, “Aren’t you supposed to meet
somebody here?”
"Yes.”
“What are the initials of the per
son?”
“J. M.”
“That’s right!”
Then he stuck out his hand, saying:
“1 see that you belong to the broth
erhood! (lo into this room. As soon
as he comes I’ll tell you."
We were in a den of the German
spies. It was now up to us to get
out. And to get out with what we
had come for.
** * *
j \ FEW moments later Borgone sent
i *• a man to tell tis that.the person
jwe were waiting for had arrived. He
asked us to meet him outside. In the
court we found Meyer, talking in
tently to Borgone. When be saw us
Meyer came toward us, taking out of
his pocket a set of Bertillon measure
ments, checked them over and com
pared us with ihe photographs. Then,
turning toward Borgone. he said:
“They are the ones, all right! Once
i again you have done us a great serv
ice. my dear Borgone.”
Without meaning to. Meyer had just
confirmed our suspicion that Borgone
was on the German pay roll. That in
formation was of importance.
Then Meyer turned to us and in
German ordered us to follow him.
without saying anything. We walked
or. over impossible roads. We finally
got to what looked like an abandoned
house, iind Meyer took an electric
torch out of his pocket, making cer
tain signals with It, whistling in a
strange way. The door opened quietly.
A voice from within said:
“Kommen sie!” (“Come in!”)
We did not know the ground and
had to grope through the dark. The
man waiting for us said, in a domi
neering tone:
“Schnell!” (“Hurry up!”)
We were in a large court in front
of :he house, which seemed to be clut
tered up with packing boxes, casks
and bales of goods. Our guide said: .
“Here we are at home! Follow me;
but he sure you walk right behind me
without going an inch to either side,
because we have pitfalls all around.”
We followed silently, admiring the
elaborate defenses. Soon we were at
the door to the house, where we were
met by a bulldog, growling menacingly.
“Quiet. Merkur.” our guide ordered;
“these are friends "
The dog, well trained, shut up at
once.
When we entered the house the
first things to strike our eyes were our
“own” photographs on two large en
velopes on a table, bearing our names.
The man waved us to chairs, examined
"our” envelopes, then said to Meyer.
"Have you told them about it?”
“N’o. lieutenant colonel; you are in
charge.”
“Good!”
The officer leaned toward us and
said:
“This Is real war—a fight to the
bitter end! The job I intrust to you
has got to be accomplished, what
ever the cost! You must stop at noth
ing. This is a question of life and
death for Germany!”
For a moment he thought, then he
continued:
“I understand that as a result of
what you have already accomplished”
(Then, it seemed, we were “stars!”),
“that I can count on you absolutely.”
I !
; of Rodes’ division moved on to Cham-;
! bersburg. Lee's army, at the peak of j
its strength, was moving north, two
to three tiny* inarch west of Wash
ington. Johnson and Early’s dlvi
■ sion* followed Rodes’ division across
the Potomac. Longstreet’s corps was
marching norlli on the cast side of the
Blue Ridge. There was cavalry fight-
I ing nt Aldie. a village and mountain
pass through which thousands of you
rush in automobiles on Sunday. I.ong
-1 street moved to BerryvHie and crossed
, the Potomac at Williamsport on June
! 25 and 26. and marched toward Cham
| bersburg. In all this might be read
—and was read—a threat against
i Baltimore and Washington. A turn
i to the east from the South Mountain
I region would bring Lee’s army to
; Washington.
| Though I believe that Washington
j was disturbed, 1 cannot read it in the
| newspapers of that time. One flrst
i class theater—Grover's —was running
with a stock company, and there were
three variety theaters—the Canter
bury, the Varieties and Metropolitan
Hall. There were few picnics, and
those were at Green Spring and City j
Park on North Seventh street. I do
! not find advertisements of excursions
j to Glymont, White House, Pye’a Land-
I ing and the old river places. Gun
: boats were numerous on the Potomac
j and all other streams in the Chesa
j pcakc basin and were doing what they
could to catch sloops and schooner*
engaged in contraband traffic between
Maryland and Virginia.
Lucille Western played at Grover’s
| Theater the first two weeks in June
j 1463, and 1 picked from the gdver
i tisements names of some of her char
; aeters—Naramattah and Lizette ’in
j the charming Indian drama of the
| Wept of the Wish-ton Wish,” Camille
' or the Pate of a Coquette; Lucretia
\ Borgia, Don Caesar de Bazan. East
; Lynne and Nancy Sykes in Oliver
Twist. Tlds is from The Star: “This
Friday evening, June 12, IKG3, last ap
pearance but one of the Youthful. beau
tiful and gifted actres*j|*Miss Lucille
Western, whose engagement has
proven the most wonderful In any
M I BH 1 : “TIIE JOB lAM GOING TO IN
ii i |ij jl ILJL J , TRUST TO YOU HAS GOT TO
' CJLjr 1 P P BE accomplished, what.
i ' • Til
As he said this, the officer took out
a large map.
“You see this map? It shows the
hydro-electric system that the French
have built in the Alps and in South
eastern France—in short, a map of
all the factories in France that are
producing materials for carrying on
the war. They are so far from the
front, and have been so carefully
guarded, that they have been impreg
nable. This group of factories consti
tutes tlic only arsenal in France.
From it guns and munitions consist
ently halt our most carefully pre
pared offensives.
“That must stop! Just as we have
destroyed the industrial centers in the
north and the east of France, so we
must also destroy them in the Alps
and the southeast of France! Such,
gentlemen, Is the mission that I am
going to intrust to you.”
Looking us straight in the eye, he
asked:
“Do you accept it?”
I pretended to think for a moment,
and seemed to consult with my com
rade, then answered:
“Why not? Granted the technical
j theater at this season. The popu
, larity achieved l*y Alisa Western in
this city has been equaled by no one
who lias at any time preceded her.
Tomorrow, Saturday, complimentary
benefit to Miss Western.”
The Star of Monday, June 15, 1863.
contained this: "Monday, testimonial
benefit to Manager Leonard Grover:
appearance by voluntary consent of
the young, beautiful and universally
popular actress, Miss Lucille Western,
the pearl of the American stage. Ap
pearance of the people's favorite
actress, Aliss Susan Denin.’’ The play
was Torn Taylor and Charles Reade’s
comedy, “Peg Woffington: or, Alaska
and Faces”; the comedy at the end of
the bill was “Mischiefmaking.” ■
After Lucille Western, Grover’s I
stock company kept the playhouse]
open, two of the plays being Lion
Boucicault’s "Pauvrette; or, the Ava
lanche,” and Boueicaplt’s play “.Jes
sie Brown: or, the Relief of Luck
now." 1 found the following names
of members of Grover's company: Su
san Denin, Isabel! Freeman, Sophia
Gimber, Charles Barron. J. E. Whit
i ing, J. X. Wilson, W. H. Bokee and
Harry Clifford. Susan Denin also
played male characters, and I found
her advertised to play Romeo, which
the advertisements said was “her
great character,” and Claud Melnotte
“as performed by her in the principal
cities of the country with the most
flattering encomiums by tluj press.”
During the three days fighting at
Gettysburg the plays at Grover’s were
"the moral drama, 'The Drunkard,’
to conclude with the ‘Widow’s Vic
tim’ ’’ and "Colleen Hawn.” I found
nothing to show whether fat or lean
i audiences W’ent to the- theater in that
i tragic time.
** * *
r pHE Washington Theater, Eleventh
and C, disappeared from the news
after putting on “Unde Tom's Cabin.”
Whether the play had anything to do
with the disappearance 1 do not know
In a “reading notice” in The Star
Wpdnesday, June 9, 1863, the Ram
bler found this; “German (late Wash
ington) Theater. The old Washing
details are arranges, only one thing
more remains to be settled.”
“What?”
"Why, the most important one, as
far os we are concerned! The question
of money!”
The lieutenant colonel smiled.
“If it is only a matter of money, I.
can assure you there will be no
trouble about that.”
“Hut still ”
‘‘Listen to me,” he said in a pre
emptory tone. “My superiors have
empowered rue to offer you a hundred
thousand marks for each factory in
which you stop production, no matter
by what means.”
“Fine! And . , . when do we
start?”
He took out some maps, notes and
a book—or, rather, a pamphlet—en
titled “Water Power in France.”
“This book,” he began, “is an abso
lute miracle. Not only does it contain
a complete list of the French factories
that are manufacturing munitions,
but it is filled with confidential infor
mation about these factories and their
methods of production.
“The French will never guess how
THE CHANCELLOR HOUSE. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1906.
ton Theater will be reopened tomor
row evening with a powerful stock
company of half a dozen stars—Ger
man performers—comprising some of
trte finest talent in the country.* The
German population here will now
find a resort second to none in the
United States.” That is the only ref
erence the Rambler found to the Ger
man Theater. It did not advertise in
June nor up to that part of July where
I closed the file.
Carncross and Dixey's Minstrels
made many of us laugh while the Con
federate Army was passing west of
Washington from Virginia to Penn
sylvania. Here is the advertisement:
"Odd Fellows’ Hall--For a few' nights
only, commencing Thursday evening,
l Juno 4, 1863—Carncross and Dixey’s
i Minstrels, The star troupe of the
world in their grand Ethiopian soi
rees, producing the latest novelties,
new and beautiful songs, laughable
burlesques, plantation scenes, grand
instrumental overtures, vocal quartets,
fancy dances, etc., as performed by
tills world-renowned troupe at their
opera house in Philadelphia. Road the
list of artists: J. L. Carncross, E. F.
i Dixey, Frank Moran. J. H. Boss. J. S.
Cox. A. If. Racket. C. Campbell. J.
Lamont, Charles Stevens. C. Villicrs,
Thomas A. Beeket, M. D. Edwards,
R. F. Simpson, R. Patterson. R. Fra
ser and Charles Gibbons. James AN.
Holden, agent.”
I am going to use a few' lines to
make an announcement which may
] jar your culture. 1 make the an
nouncement because I suspect that
you are a hypocrite and have not
courage to tell the truth. I believe
my announcement may help you to
become an honest man. It is this: I
got better entertainment out of the
old minstrels than from the artistic
tragedies of “Camille.” “East Lynne"
i and “Oliver Twist.” I felt better after
seeing Jack Ha veil y, Billy Emerson
> and Hi Henry than after seeing
Shakespeare's dpmbskull, Othello,
• choke silly Desdemona to death. I
■ remember with.jmore fondness the
• Jokes and Jim Crow Rice,
■ Billy Rice. Charley Backuaa. Dave
' helpful they were when they brought
out this book.”
I was astounded! How had it hap
pened that we French had been fool
ish enough to furnish such informa
tion to our implacable opponents! The
lieutenant colonel went on:
"This booklet is perfect, hut we
have something even better. Here we
have a detailed description of every
machine in each one of those factories.
We even have photographs of the
machines.”
** * *
i r THKN the lieutenant colonel out
-*• to tell us just how to destroy these
factories and their contents. He
advocated a variety of methods. Thus
I learned, to my astonishment, that
nothing could be easier than to put
hundreds of factories out of commis
sion by the simple expedient of des
troying the station or substation from
which they got their power.
“The explosives that you use must
he as small in bulk as possible, so that
you will have no trouble getting them
across the border,” he explained. "As.
James Meyer, who is your immediate
Wambold and Thatelier, Primrose and
West than the stabbings and poison
ings in “Hamlet.” Call me a low-brow
and a rough-neck if you insist, hut I
believe that my sentiments are your
sentiments and that you are afraid to
tell the truth about yourself to your
daughters and the neighbors.
In The Star advertisement In the
Summer of 1*63 I found this about
the Flying Cloud: “The steamboat
Flying ‘ Cloud now running between
Georgetown and the l’oint of Rocks.
Aid., leaves west side of Market
House. Georgetown, Mondays, Wed
nesdays and Fridays at 7 o’clock, and
returning leaves Point of Rocks at 7
a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satur
days. Express goods and other light
freights carried at moderate charges,
provided they have a pass for same.
Freight? left at William J. Ritter’s
store will be attended to. John
Moore.”
** * *
"V r Ol7 |>ave seen in other rambles
•* ho\v troubled Washington was
with dead horses, and I hand you this
from The Star, June 4, 1863, to show'
you that tlje dead horse was a live
question in Washington and to give
\v.u th® address of the ward guard
houses: "Headquarters Metropolitan
Police, No. 516 Eleventh street. —All
dead horses found in the cities of
Washington and Georgetown and the
county beyond the limits of those I
cities will he removed on notice in
writing, particularizing the locality of
the carcass, being left at any one of the
police stations (there were 10 of them) •
mentioned below: Georgetown station.!
on High street near Canal Bridge: j
first ward, on Twentieth street be-,
tween I and K: second ward, on Ohio'
avenue next to the corner of Thir
teenth;' third ward, in Temperance
Hall; fourth ward, in the east wing of
the City Hall; fifth ward. South B
street between First and Second east;
sixth ward, in Odd Fellows* Hall. Navy
Yard; seventh ward, Four-and-a-hulf
street, west side, between E and F
streets south; county station house,
corner of Seven** street and Boundary
superior, will give them to you when
the time comes, and he will tell you
how to handle them.”
He then got up from his chair, say
ing to Meyer:
“Alay I have a word with you?”
They went into a corner, where
they talked in low voices, looking up
at us frequently. When their conver
sation was over, the lieutenant colonel
lifted up a curtain that concealed a
door and left, waving a last good-bye
to us.
Afy companion looked at me. I whis
pered:
“All ready?”
“Let's go!”
With great care Aleyer closed the
door through which the lieutenant
colonel had made his exit. When he
turned toward us we literally jumped
on him.
After a fierce struggle we succeed
ed in overpowering him. AVe then
gagged and tied him up.
I paid no attention to his furious
looks, and, turning to my companion,
1 said:
“Will you go to the police station
at Carouge and ask them to come here
as soon as possible?”
He was already starting when I
warned him:
“Watch where von step! Remember
that besides the dogs, there are the
pitfalls. Take care!”
Aiy colleague opened the door with
infinite caution and plunged into the
night.
I came back to Aleyer, who was
lying on the ground, trying vainly
to slip his bonds.
“I know.” I said, “that, as I am in
Swiss territory, I have no legal right
to question you. However, the others
will take care of that!”
I began to go through various port
folios that I found. Two of them con
cerned France. The eight others were
entirely taken up with the Swiss
Army, including a map of the border
and a whole series of notes concern
ing the Swiss military defenses.
A telephone bell suddenly rang in
the next room.
Pulling out my revolver, I said to
Aleyer:
“Well, old man, you’re going to go
ahead of me. If you stumble—a bullet
in your head.”
I untied the bonds that held his
legs, and he preceded me into the
room where the telephone was ring
ing steadily. I picked the instrument
up hurriedly, standing so that Aleyer
was always in sight.
“Hello,” I said.' “Who is it?”
“A. A. 321! To whom am I speak
ing?”
I gave Meyer’s name.
“That’s strange! I didn’t recog
nize your voice!”
"Oh, you know, that’s not surpris
ing,” I smiled. "These Swiss instru
ments are terrible!”
“Aren’t they? Is the lieutenant
colonel there?”
“No! But he'll be back soon. Any
message?”
The person at the telephone, a
woman it was, seemed to hesitate for
a moment, then she answered:
"Well, will you tell him that Irma
Staub called up to reoort that the two
men whom he was expecting, who
should have been there by now, were
arrested at Saint-Julien-en-Genevois
by the customs officials.”
1
for portion north of the city and at'
Odd Fellows’ Hall. Navy Yard, for por
tion beyond the Eastern Branch. W.
B. Webb, superintendent.”
Let me remind you of some of the
stage coach lines. From The Star of
Juno 11. 1x83: ”General stage otfice.-r-
The following stages run from the
Kimmel House daily to Leonardtown,
St. Marys County, via Surrattsville,
T. 8.. Beantown, Hughesville. Char
lotte Hall and Chaptico. Also a tri
weekly line to Port Tobacco leaves the
Kimmel House every Tuesday, Thurs
day and Saturday at 7:30 a.m.. via Pis
cataway and Duflield to Port Tobacco.
A F Kimmell. agent.”
‘‘The proprietor of this line of
stages, .T. C. Thompson, has retnoved
from Charlotte Hall to T B, where
ho means to keep a first-class hotel.
Gentlemen and ladies traveling on this
line can be accommodated in good
style.”
The Rambler gets the impression
that the horses and cows of Wash
ington were more restless in the Civil
War period than now. They seem to
have wandered mound more. The
following -advertisement was in The
Star, June 13, 1863:
“Strayed from Meridian Hill on the
Bth instant, one large, red horse,
marked with a large ‘C’ on left side.
He carries his head very high. Also
one small black horse with a small ’C’
ton left shoulder. Ten dollars will be
paid if returned to the Meridian Hill
House.”
I feel sure that this large red horse,
absent without leave, was an officer
i horse. That habit of carrying his
j head “very high” is a sign that he
> wore shoulder straps. He probably
! walked very stiff, but that defect is
not set down in the advertisement.
The Rambler does not know why he
was condemned. Perhaps he was
only a captain-horse and on the picket
tine one night he neighed a slighting
remark at a major-horse. Or, he may
have kicked a colonel-hor?e ; I- have
no the Bmall black horse.
He was probably nothing but a- civil
ian-horse who got into the Army. If
As yon see. my colleague and I
had had a clo.se escape! If Irma
Staub’s message had reached the
lieutenant colonel two hours before,
we ourselves would have walked right
into a trap!
I took my prisoner back into the
other room. During the con versa tloji
he had been making the most fero
cious faces at me. We had scarcely
got back when the dog started to hark,
lie seemed to be raging mad,Which
reassured me somewhat. If there tCa»
some one in the court, it must be my
friend.
Suddenly there was the crack of a
pistol outside! The dog let out a
plaintive howl and was silent. A few'
seconds later some one knocked at
the door.
Still playing my part, I answered
with a rough,
"Werda?”
“Friends!” answered a voice that I
recognized as that of my companion.
“Open tl»e door!”
I opened the door and had the pleas
ure of seeing a dozen Swiss policemen
with my comrade. When the officer
had examined the portfolios he turned
pale, and, visibly shaken, stretched
out his hand toward me.
“I thank you,” he said, “for what
you have just done for my country!
Until this moment I was p.o-(lerman!
Stubbornly, I believed everything the
pro-German press said. Now I know!”
To the head of the Swiss Military
Police, who soon arrived, and his as
sistants, I gave in detail the story of
our recent activities, backing up my
statements with the proof to be found
in the documents taken from Irma
Staub and those in the office of the
lieutenant colonel.
The chief thanked us for this new
service we had done the Swiss Con
federation, then demanded of the
prisoner:
“What’s your name?”
“It’s none of your business? I am
a naturalized American. You will
have to answer to the American con
sul for these indignities.' As an em
ploye of the owner of this house, I
merely went to Borgone's place and
brought these two men hack. . .
The Chief turned to his detectives:
“Search the man."*
As his pockets were emptied a dan
gerous-looking assemblage of weapons
appeared—a revolver, a burglar’s kit,
sticks of dynamite, a Bickford hang
man’s noose, a Bowie knife, along
with forged identification papers.
There was also a silver cigarette case,
upon which I noticed that James
Meyer kept his eyes.
I picked up the case, in which a
few cigarettes were left, and exam
ined it carefully. I noticed that the
spy followed all my movements with
growing uneasiness.
“Tell me,” I said to the chief, “at
the customs office, is there an X-ray
machine, such as is used to discover
what’s inside suspicious-looking bag
gage?”
“Why, of course,” he answered.
A quarter of an hour later, thanks
to the X-rays, we had absolute proof.
One of the cigarettes contained a
little piece of paper tightly rolled and
stuck in between two pinches of to
baceo. This paper had on it the for
mula for the manufacture of an ex
plosive which they intended to use
to blow up French factories, and in
structions as to how to make it. The
factories to be destroyed were also
named. When he was confronted with
this evidence Meyer had to give up
and admit his guilt.
A few days later the Council of War
at Geneva sentenced him to six
months in prison and a 5,000 francs
fine. It ordered, moreover, that he
should be deported from Switzerland.
His accomplices—Borgone and his
gang—were also sentenced to prison.
< Copyright. 1927.)
you want to know why he was con
demned write to the War Department,
and it won’t know. I think the small
black horse was condemned because
a captain-horse caught him with the
top button of his blouse unbuttoned.
Or, he may not have had his hat on
straight. Or, he may have strolled
over to the tent of the captain-horse
and bawled him out because there
were blackberry bushes In the hay.
There are so many ways that a horse
can get into trouble in the Army.
Washington cows seem not to have
been satisfied with home life. Dead
the following advertisement from The
Star of June 12. 18(53:
“Strayed or stolen, on the 9th in
stant, a valuable light red cow: small
white stripes on the back: on the eve
of having a calf. Five dollars reward
if returned to J. M. May, No. 69 High
street, Georgetown.”
“Came to the premises of the sub
scriber, a brindle cow, also a white
cow with red spots. D. Carroll. East
ern Branch, near Bennings Bridge.”
“Came to the premises of the sub
scriber, on the 4th instant, a black
and white cow\ Mrs. C. Pearson,
Brentwood farm, next to Kendall
Green.”
There must have been a crime wave
among Washington sheep in 1863 for
they trespassed on private property
and helped themselves to the grass.
Read this:
“Taken up estray: On the 7th in
stant, eleven sheep. Tha owner or
owners are requested to come for
ward, prove property, pay charges and
take them away, otherwise they will
be sold to pay expenses. Mrs. M. C.
Fenwick, hear Mount Olivet Ceme
tery.”
, Transplanting Trees.
'J'HE owner of a new home not
, blessed with shade trees need not
wait the passing of slow years if ho
is willing to expend the not inconsid
erable sum necessary to transplant
ready-grown shade trees. However,
the difference between a treeless lot
with a bouse on it and an embowered
home is really worth considerable
outlay.
To prepare a large tree for removal
a deep trench should be dug around
it from 5 to 7 feet front the base and
worked under so as to enable all the
smaller roots to be cut off without in
jury' to the bole. The ends of the
roots should be cut smooth and the
tree carefully undermined with a pick,
care being taken to remove the soil
with as little injury as possible to the
young fibers. The tree should then
bo drawn over until the tap root can
be .cut. Bagging should be used to
wrap the ball of earth and roots,
which can then be loaded on a stone
wagon. If the tree is very large, it
will probably he necessary to allow the
top to drag, but the tree should not
be materially injured by this.
Surveying Sea Bottom.
"pROM an airplane or a balloon, shal
low places in the ocean and rocks
rising near to the surface can be seen
more clearly than from the shore or
from shipboard. For this reason na
val engineers have suggested that
1 captive balloons or airplanes would be
’ most useful accessories to ships used
in surveying the ocean. tVitli such
aircraft dangerous waters having shal- ,
low areas and bottoms intersected
with narrow and tortuous channels
could be rapidly charted by eye obser
vations and by the aid of photographs
taken from the air. Os course, sound
ings would still be necessary to ascer
tain the exact depth of water, but
these would be greatly facilitated by
the knowledge previously gained
through the aid of aircraft*