BETRAYED SECRETS

Evening Star, Issue 15777, 14 April 1915, Page 3

BETRAYED SECRETS

TWELVE .MONTHS FOR EX-POSTAI, CENSOR. Bursting: into tears, Emile .Jules 'Dupuis, 34. a Belgian professor of language, made an eloquent address to the jury at the Oki Bailey, ■where he was tried before Mr Justice Atkin on a charge under the Official Secrets Act, of communicating information obtained whilst he was an examiner of mails in the Postal Censor’s Office. The case against him was that after being dismissed from the Censor's office, he made use of the fact that the name of Miss Jluby May Davis, a school mistress, living at Jindsh-Igh Gardens. Regent's Park, was on the special list” of persons whose correspondence was under inspection, owing to her having i'eceived a letter from Germany. He kept an appointment with Miss Davis, and she employed a- private detective, who overheard the conversation whilst in hiding. Defendant pleaded “ Not ■guilty.”-■ In the witness box he said he had been the, victim of misfortune, a n<l was recommended to Miss Davis as a person likely to assist him. In the. course of conversation she learned l.hat. he had been in the Censor's office, and said she knew she was a suspected person, and asked him to tell her ’now her correspondence had been treated, bnt h<> dc-dmed to do so. and refused her assistance. Prisoner was about to disclose certain information about a German baron at Brighton, when the .Bulge sternly remarked : •• If yon disclose any information (o the jury yon are cornmitHng an offence. 'sou sire doing that which is prohibited by Art of Parliament whatever position yon mav lie in. If the jury take a- hostile view of your offeree they probably will think it very much to your prejudice. If you should be convicted you may take it "for certain T shall take it. very .seriously into account. You had better be careful.” Dupuis said he would be the last man to do anything injurious to this country.—Asked ibv Mr Bodkin (prosecuting) as to whether a statement of his was not a lie, prisoner replied : “ No. it was an untruth.” In his address to the jury in Ins defence, on the eloquence of which he was complimented by the .Judge, prisoner said ho was convicted in the Trasvaal in 1902. He was innocent, and he protested against hj s I conviction. A man subsequently admitted on his death-bed that prisoner did not .sign the cheque in respect of which he was convicted. He was released on the recommendation of the Chief .Justice, ami I his passage was paid to Mon.s.—The’ jury found prisoner guilty. inspector 'Duggan proved a list of convictions against prisoner for theft and false pretences, including a term of three yoare’ pena.l .servitude Since prisoner left the Censor's office he had been going about, posing as a. wounded Moms hero. At loyn.ingham prisoner Joelured upon his experiences a t Moms and in Belgium after the war broke, out. Dupuis .said he disputed the officer’s statement as to liis conduct since he, had been in England.—Mr Justice Atkin said ho was satisfied that prisoner was a most dangerous man io have occupied the position lie did in the Censors Department It certainly seemed a vorv unfortunate circumstance that a man of his antecedents should have been selected for the post \\ Inch tic v.as emploved lo occupy, but he (the Judge) had no doubt better precautions had been adopted since. The offence of which prisoner had been convicted was a serious one at anv time, but in war time it was still more serious.’ Ho had been several times convicted, but His Lordship was going to give him credit for having since intended to do. and done, honest vork. lie sentenced prisoner to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labor. —Prisoner intimated that he would appeal.