A SPY DRAMA

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 13092, 13 February 1937, Page 9

A SPY DRAMA

RE-FORTIFYING HELIGOLAND. BRITISHER BEHEADED. NOTORIOUS SIREN FIGURES IN THE CASE.

JN tho background o£ yet another high treason drama enacted in Berlin recently when the head of a young man of British origin Ml under the executioner’s axe, appears once more Marie Louise, who figured in the “officer in tho tower” case. Question and answer in the House of Commons relating to the German re-fortification of Heligoland cost the heads of three men in all. The last of the tin-tin was Robert Wendell, the German-horn son of an .English father and a Scots mother.

Wendell was in the employment of a, German firm responsible for carrying out, part of the plans for the refortification of Heligoland and other German naval bases dismantled under the Versailles Treaty. Tho first' intimation the German Government had'that, there had been a leakage somewhere regarding tlicue plans was when, in reply to questions in the House of Commons, British Ministers confirmed the rumours that re-fortification was yet, another “fait accompli.” and gave details that left no doubt that the closely guarded secret was in the possession of the British.

Tho German Secret, Service set to work at once to solve tho mystery of tho leakage, and three arrests followed. Two of the arrested men were beheaded, hut the third had his life spared in return for information about those associated with them.

The information ho supplied pointed to Robot Wendell as the man who was still supplying information to the mystery woman believed by Die Germans to be the brain behind the British agents operating on the Continent. hub so far untraced

The “Vamp” at Work

Tlnlrc was nothing more than suspicion against Wendell until Marie Louise, who figured so prominently in the case of Lieutenant Baillio Stewart, the “Officer in the Tower,” appeared on Die scene to use her sex appeal in the hope of delivering the .veiling man to his enemies.

Tho intervention of the notorious siren succeeded where other efforts laid failed, and after she had cast her. spell over Wendell, the “vamp” introduced into his flat, of which she had the key. Secret Service agents who took copies of compromising documents.

Wendell’s arrest followed but he denied everything. When the trial eamo off hrfiind closed doors, however, lie was confounded by the appearance as principal witness against him of the woman for whose sex appeal lie had fallrti so coni plot ol.v.

As in the other two cases Die prosecution demanded Die death penalty, but after it had been passed W endell was offered his life on condition that bo disclosed Die name ol Die English woman agent with whom he had been collaborating. The lives of the other two eondd.nned men. arrested months before him, had been offered oil the same terms, hut like them "Wendell refused 1". give any information. As in tho other cases tho authorities tried tho ruso of sending his mother to plead with him in his coll to save his own life by revealing the woman’s name.

Mother Refuses to intercede for Son

I Tho mother refused as firmly as the i son to he a party to such a transj action, and now she is menaced with expulsion from Germany and loss of the pension .she has because of the distinguished services of her husband to scientific research. Extraordinary efforts wore made to conceal the details of tho trial and the identity of the witnesses appearing against the accused man, but it can bo revealed now for tho first time that tho real name of Mario Louise is Maria Louisa, Raeckendorff, a native of Silesia, aged about 30. The daughter of a distinguished German civil servant connected with a family of ancient lineage, she has been employed in secret service work for Germany for at least 10 years, and it is stated that she has undertaken missions to countries abroad, including Britain and France. As recently as March of last year she made an incursion into Franco and had a narrow escape from arrest. Several photographs of her in different disguises, and her fingerprints are now in possession of the French authorities. In tho dim light of the prison courtyard wlieqe the execution was carried out, Wendell was given one last chance .of saving his life by speaking. For answer lie placed his head on the block and signed to tho executioner to get, on with his job. “It, is useless making such a demand. .Nothing will make me speak,” be said.