A SPY IN WELLINGTON.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5350, 5 February 1916, Page 5

A SPY IN WELLINGTON.

SUSPECT' GERMAN ARRESTED. GETS A ROUGH HANDLING.

Electric Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington. Last Night. A man supposed to be a German and and! suspected of being a spy, was arrested before the Manuka left tonight for Sydney. The man had been in Wellington for some time. Suspicion was aroused' by the pertinacity of his inquiries among the French reservists who were travelling in the Manuka as to the nature of the defences in the Pacific Islands. The military authorities were communicated with, and the man was placed under arrest. It is urp dei’stood he was trying to get'away from the Dominion in the Manuka. The Frenchmen got excited, and the German was handled roughly by them until he was rescued by the authorities. Since the arrival of the French reservists bk the Mnitai the man had been hanging around and making himself agreeable. He spoke French with a German accent he was encouraged by the reservists. He asked all sorts of questions in a quiet way. They were all together on the boat to-night when the suspect asked: “Have you any naturalised Germans among you?” Thinking to put him to the test one of the reservists replied, ‘Yes, I am a naturalised German.’ The reservist at once found hjs hand seized, and wrung with effusion by this kindly friend. Thereupon, several others announced that they also were naturalised Germans, and every one of them was shaken by the hand and greeted most demonstratively. This, however. proved to be altogether too much for the reservists, whose anger had been steadily rising. They became most excited, and there was trouble. They crowded in upon the man and began to beat- him and kick him till other* on the ship had to intervene.