THE FATE OF A SPY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE FATE OF A SPY.

RUTHLESS EXPLOITER OF LOVE.

HUMAN "TIGRESS," WHO CO-OPERATED WITH VACILLATING COWARD —LIZZI WERTHEIM, GERMANY'S MOST BRILLIANT AGENTCHARMER OF SAILORS IN WAR TIME BRITAIN.

(By EDWIX T. WOODEALL, late oi Scotland Yard.)

One of the most sensational cases concerning a woman spy was that in which Lizzi Wertheim, alias Mrs. Adelaide Norton, received a sentence of ten years' penal servitude, her accomplice paying for his part in their joint espionage by execution at the Tower. Lizzi Wertheim was the wife of a naturalised Englishman, and was bora in South Germany. Although in personal magnetism and fascination she could not bear comparison with such a woman as the famous Mata_ Hari—perhaps the greatest woman spy snown to history—she was extremely handsome and prepossessing: in looks, amazingly shrewd, and exceptionally versed in tae ways and wiles of charming information from the important men with whom she consorted for that express purpose. Of her early life very little is known. When she first came under the observation 01 tne British counter-espionage authorities she was working alone and unaided, and what had happened to her naturalised husband was a matter of supposition, it being concluded from her own statements that he had made good his flight to a neutral country. Her associate was a German-American named Breeckow. The first and the most necessary quality in a spy is that he should have courage. However resourceful, how-1 ever brilliant he may be at the work of gathering information for his employers, he must have the intrepidity to bluff where necessary and to carry his life in his hands at a pitch. From this point of view Wertheim was one of the most efficient of spies. At her trial it was said that no woman was more utterly brazen and cool-headed in her demeanour. Unfortunately for both she and her partner, the latter was a coward. His lack of courage sent him before a firing squad and her to a long term of imprisonment. Had it not been for her exceptional presence of mind there is little doubt but that she would have shared the same fate as her associate. When surprised by the visit of two Scotland Yard men to her lodgings, and with barely a moment in which to act and save herself from execution, she responded to the emergency and by tearing into small pieces several documents which would have incriminated her beyond any hope of redemption and throwing them out of the window at the same time as the detectives entered, she successfully thwarted the ends of justice. For, although a number of minute fragments were recovered and pieced together showing the nature of the documents, owing to a high wind that was blowing at the time, these were insufficient to feature as actual evidence against her. Thus, despite the betrayal by her cowardly nccomplice, she escaped comparatively lightly. Specialist In Naval Matters. She had been enrolled by the German Secret Service some years before the war, nnd had been actively engaged in the collection and dispatch of military and naval information with respect to Britain. She specialised in naval matters. Thanks to her powers of attraction and seduction she was able to gain ascendancy over the susceptible hearts of the various naval officers —in several cases, highly-placed officers — while they were ashore on leave from their' ships. At the time, or rather, soon after the war broke otri, she was in comparatively low circumstances —at one time she was in fact destitute and without even sufficient money to keep herself from the pangs of starvation. This was due to the failure of communication between herself and the German authorities. It is generally thought—the belief has been exploited for years by the writers of sensational fiction —that the German spy system in Britain was unparalleled in its co-ordination and efficiency. But it would be a great mistake to imagine that this was actually the case. Even in peace time the British Secret Service is by no means asleep, and the vast majority of the German agents were known and gathered in two camps where they could do no harm in the months immediately succeeding the declaration ot hostilities. Wertheim was left practically stranded. Faced with the difficulty of reopening and maintaining its channels ot information with England, the German central bureau in Berlin cast about and finally commissioned a German-American called Breeckow to act as the connecting link between Wertheim and their agents in Holland.

Breeckow wa3 a professional musician of more than ordinary ability, who, for a number of years had been resident in the United States. He had been formerly a reservist in the German. Army, and was both very sensitive and extremely vain. It would appear that his sensitive and highlystrung temperament was the main cause of his timidity. He returned home to serve his country during the first year of the war, and served for some time at_ an infantry depot. He was a clever linguist, end the German Intelligence apparently thought that his American citizenship would divert suspicion of his being a spy. Accordingly he was attached as _ an agent "and sent to co-operate with Lizzi Wertheim in London. He showed no particular willingness to accept the position but he had no choice in the matter. Naturally Wertheim, then in poverty, and sickness, welcomed him with open arms. He was well equipped with funds and his fears were soothed by the stories told to ln'm in Belgium by other agents ot the pleasant and enjoyable time that lay before friTi in London. Neither Breeckow nor his fair accomplice did any work until they had spent in a wild course of dissipation most of the money that the former had brought with him. Early Suspected. Although the pair were acting together, the really dangerous and responsible part of their work was carried out by the woman. She had to scheme and obtain the information; all that her partner had to do was to forward it to a certain address in Rotterdam, whence it was transmitted to the proper quarters. He had been provided with secret inks for transcribing all intelligence before he left German}. And it was in the use of these inks that he made the first and the most important mistake that led to his undoing. In order that the information he sent snould be clear beyond all uncertainty he spacea the lines of his camouflaged letters to Rotterdam very widely, far more widely than 13 customary in an ordinary letter, unknown to himself he had been a suspect ever since his arrival in England. His correspondence was carefully watched and read and very speedily suspicions against him were conWhi'le Breeckow remained in London and lived the expensive lite or a prospered man about town who had specially come to the country under the false name of Rowland because he was so desirous or helping Great Britain in her struggle ?sainst her enemies,. Wertheim was tor the most part active m Scotland. There at various centres she busied herseli in the congenial task ol dazzling and enamouring naval omcers of ® Fleet. The facts and secrets which she was successful in garnering were forwarded ssrwvs ssssr if* Slty, tooV to earn toWjttj do not scruple to hianuiacture probabie

details, in their reports, and trust to luck and the insufficiency of exact knowledge regarding the actnal facts -when, and if they return home afterwards. This was not Lizzi Wertheim's way. If she had no conscience, if she gulled, swindled and

turned her numerous lovers inside out, and having discovered everything of worth they knew, ruthlessly discarded them, she, nevertheless, was profoundly loyal to the people who employed her. At her trial it was stated that in contradistinction to most spies, she was most exact and accurate in the matter she sent on to Breeckow. But, more than this, she possessed great intelligence, and because of her experience of naval matters and her estimate of her various informants, she could, with an almost uncanny flair, choose between false and true information. Reaped Rich Harvest. For a little time the two reaped a rich harvest, and there i 3 no doubt that some of the most important knowledge concerning the British fleet that the Germans discovered during the whole war was secured for them by the efforts of this woman. Finally, the business ended as it was inevitable it should end. The espionage of Breeckow was proved. It took some little time to trace him because of the fictitious names with which the various letters to Holland were signed. He was eventually arrested through his connection with the money payments that were mads to him through Holland. When arrested there was a clear case against him. He provided himself,' however, all the evidenco that was necessary. Imprisonment worked so strongly upon his nervous and timid temperament that he made a full and frank confession. The result was his execution, j

He implicated also his associate, Wertheim. But in spite of ths detailed statements he made of her and her whereabouts, by the use of her very quick wits and matchless assurance she managed to evade capture for a considerable time. Presently the widely flung net caught the fish it was angling for, and the pair were reunited in prison. In the examinations at police headquarters before the trial, she never for a moment lost her head, and though by this time evidence had been accumulated wnich showed her complicity, she still outfaced her accusers. Compared with her confederate Breeckow, she was a lioness beside a shivery and weakly lamb. Unceasingly she plied all her arts _ to influence the examining officials in _ her favour; all the knowledge she had gairfed in years of male frailty was brought jnto play. But here her weapons were of no avail.

Her counsel was able to plead that she was under Breeckow s domination, and consequently she escaped with a ten years sentence. She received the sentence with great composure, although she had quite obviously thought and had even declared that no court would convict her.

Her health and' naturally volatile character did not survive the rigours or war-time imprisonment. She. became insane and died in 1920 in Broadmoor Criminal Asylum.

Thus was rendered powerless one of the ablest and most of German agents. Of the pair—herself and Breee-Jjq-w—there is no doubt that she was leadinz and more resourceful mind. Her conviction and imprisonment stopped one of the most dangerous leaks ot important information. Her work had already had serious _ consequences ror Britain, and, as was said at her trial, sne might, if allowed to continue active, nave become responsible for some reallydecisive disaster. —(Anglo American 2s .is. Copyright).