ALLEGED ESPIONAGE

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 26

ALLEGED ESPIONAGE

TRIAL OF ACCUSED. . WORKING KOR RUSSIA. LONDON, January 16. The Attorney-general prosecuted at the Old Bailey trial of M'Cartney and Hansen. He said that M'Cartney was an Englishman in Russia’s pay from March to November, 1927. Russia was responsible for instigating this conspiracy. Hansen was a German student and M'Cartney ’s superior. If what Hansen told Mr Monkland was true, Hansen was Russia’s super-spy. Mr Monkland, cross-examined, admitted that.: he had known M'Cartney for . three years. He was also aware that M'Cartney had, been in prison.

EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS NATURE. RUGBY, January 16. To-day Thomas M'Cartney (a British subject) and George Hansen (described as a German student) were charged with espionage. Sir Douglas Hogg (Attorney-general), who prosecuted, said that the evidence which would be given by four witnesses was of so serious a nature that it would be necessary to hear it in camera. In outlining the case the Attorney-general narrated how an attempt had been made to use a Mr Monkland, an underwriter at Lloyd’s, as a medium (or obtaining important information regarding the British Air Force. M'Cartney gave Mr Monkland a questionnaire on the subject emanating from Russia, and showed Mr Monkland a letter from the chief Russian espionage agent in Great Britain regarding the payment for information supplied to the Russian Government. Mr Monkland immediately reported the matter to the authorities, and, acting under instructions from the War Office, he gave certain information to M'Cartney, which was obsolete and misleading. Mr Monkland continued his ■ communications with M'Cartney, and eventually met Hansen, who proved to be a Russian super-spy. Then the authorities, having established that M'Cartney and Hansen were engaged in a dangerous conspiracy against the State, arrested them.

EVIDENCE HEARD IN CAMERA.

JURY SHOWN SECRET DOCUMENTS.

LONDON, January 17. In order to prevent disclosures prejudicial to the safety of Britain, the M'Cart-ney-Hansen case was heard for two hours in camera. Secret documents shown to th e jury included a questionnaire dealing with the Air Force, and a book found in M'Cartney’s room containing a report on the Tank Corps in his handwriting. A stenographer gave evidence as to typing for M'Cartney, whom she knew as Johnson or Hudson, matter regarding airships, and evidence was given that M'Cartney held a passport in the name of Hudson.

M'Cartney denied foreknowledge of the Arcos raid or receiving secret books from Monkland and using th e name of Hudson. Sir Douglas Hogg asked. M'Cartney to write a sentence containing the word complete.” M'Cartney spelt it “ complat ” like the same’ word in the questionnaire. He asserted that Scotland Yard Superintendents Parker and M'Bride told him that he would be indemnified and given money if he gave all information against Hansen and Arcos.

Both the accused admitted previous convictions, Hansen for a political offence in Germany. The case was adjourned.

ABSOLUTE SECRECY. RUGBY, January 17. The trial of M'Cartney and the German student Hansen on charges of espionage was continued at the Central Criminal Court to-day. Extraordinary precautions to obtain absolute secrecy were taken. For nearly two hours evidence was heard m camera. This procedure, which is very rare in British criminal trials, is sanctioned by a judge only for reasons of State.

-The decision to close the court to the public was reached after evidence had been given by Major-general Bonham-Cm-ter (director of staff duties at the War Office). He emphasised the necessity of not publishing the statements of four witnesses and documents which were exhibited to the judge, jury, and counsel, lhe documents included a questionnaire deahng with the plans of the Air Porce winch had been translated from Russian. lhe Attorney-general (Sir Douglas Hogg), who is prosecuting, stated that this document could only have been composed by a group of persons familiar with their subject, such as the war staff of a foreign Power. Another document submitted in camera was a report on the British Tank Corps manoeuvres alleged to have been written by M Cartney. ACCUSED FQUND GUILTY. TEN YEARS’ SERVITUDE. * LONDON, January 18. al Cartney and Hansen were sentenced to 1° years’ penal servitude. The jury deliberated for a quarter of an hour, and ‘°m b°th guilty on all counts. The police stated that M'Cartney had had a good education and obtained a commission during the war. He was captureq, but escaped. He began writing f° r a Communist newspaper, and in 1926 he was sentenced fo r attempted shop-breaking. Nothing was known against Hansen. The Chief Justice said that both men had been clearly convicted of terrible offences, The term spy. had been _ misplaced because spies took risks for their own country., Hansen was un doubtedly the paymaster in a widespread oi ganisation.

M'Cartney- asked if |je could give the authorities information regarding Monk-, land and Lord Hewart replied h e woulddoubtless have the usual facilities.

SEVERAL OTHERS CONCERNED. LONDON, January 18. In the espionage case the prisoners generally denied all the charges. The Attorney-General, addressing the jury, pointed out that, despite this pointblank’ denial of every fact which every witness for the prosecution had proved, the defence had failed to produce any single witness to controvert those facts. The questionnaire regarding the British Air Force was given by M'Cartney to Monkland, who communicated it to the authorities. Undoubtedly that questionnaire was the work of a spy organisation, and it was an undisputed fact that it was the product of the war staff of the Russian Government. The question had been raised why the arrest of M'Cartney was delayed. The reason was that the authorities saw fit to refrain from striking until they were able to get into touch with somebody a little higher in the spy system, and by waiting a short time they were able to get Hansen. The Attorney-General concluded: “ I ask you to say we have been successful in unearthing a dangerous spy organisation against the safety of this country. Unluckily we have not been able to gather into our net all who were concerned in it, though I trust the result of this trial may make others think before they pursue their dangerous as well as treasonable activities.” The Lord Chief Justice, summing up, referred to the second questionnaire, which had been submitted to the court in camera. He said it was not denied that the information therein sought was of the most vital and secret kind. It had been written by M'Cartney in Monkland’s presence, and handed to Monkland. The Lord Chief Justice pointed out that the case for the prosecution, however. depended not only upon the evidence of Monkland, but upon witnesses who had given material evidence in camera.

APPEAL AGAINST CONVICTIONS.

ECHO OF SENSATIONAL TRIAL. LONDON, January 20. Hansen and M'Cartney are appealing

against their convictions and sentences.

Hansen and M'Cartney, described as Irish-Americans, were arrested on November 19, and remanded on a charge of collecting information useful to a foreign Power, and prejudicial to Britain. Detectives described the discovery of documents in the pocket’s of the arrested men and at their residences containing the ad dresses of people in Germany and Holland. They were sentenced to 10 years' penal servitude. The jury deliberated for a quarter of an hour, and found both guilty on all counts.