HEAVY SENTENCES ON SPIES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19213, 20 January 1928, Page 9

HEAVY SENTENCES ON SPIES.

M'CARTNEY AN ARMY OFFICER. (BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (AVSTRALIAN AND N.Z. AND SUN CABLE.) LONDON. January 18. McCartney and Hansen were sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. The jury deliberated for a quarter of an hour, and found both guilty on all counts.

The police stated that McCartney had had a good education, and obtained a commission during the war. He was captured, but escaped. He began writing articles for a Communist newspaper in 1926. He was sentenced for attempted shopbreaking. Nothing was known against Hansen. The Chief Justice said that both were clearly convicted of terrible offences The term "spy" had been misplaced, because spies took risks tor their own country. Hansen was undoubtedly paymaster in a widespread organisation. ' McCartney asked if he could give the authorities information regarding Mohkland Mr Justice Hewart replied that he would doubtless have the usual facilities. .

[Hansen and McCartney, arrested at the beginning of December of last year, were charged with spying on behalf of Russia. They approached George Monkland (an underwriter at Llovd's) for information regarding aie shipping of arms to Esthonia and Lithuania, and Monkland informed the Admiralty, and then, acting on instructions, continued to supply them with false information.]