EXCITING INCIDENTS.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13594, 8 October 1914, Page 2

EXCITING INCIDENTS.

The German attempts at spying are simply amazingly daring in this district (writes the French Riviera correspondent of rthe' "Westminster Gazette" on August 19th). Attempt follows attempt, with an incredible indifference to the very sudden method of death which follows the various captures. ,

The secret of it all is, of course, that here, in this semi-cifcle of mountains, is one of the great fortified areas of France —stupendous forts, hidden with uncanny skill, lurk among the rocky heights. Many of these are utterly impossible of detection from the main roadways of the valleys, and hence never-ceasing attempts of the German spies to secure information. A striking incident occurred here this evening. Near here is a lonely little bay, with natural facilities for landing. An abandoned and half-made road leads, down to this place from the main coast road, which is patrolled. One of the patrol thought he saw a movement down among the vines on the side of the deserted road, and as we are under martial law here, and no one has any right to be out of doors before six in the morning and after six at night without a special permit (I have a pocketful of passports myself), the soldier knew that something was wrong, and immediately gave a hail. As there was no reply, he fired two shots among the vines. Someone gave a scream, and the soldier ran up with his bayonet at the ready. There men jumped right, out from among the vines and one of them fired twice at him with a revolver or automatic pistol. He was not hit', and went right at them with his bayonet, firing again as he ran. He killed one man. More soldiers ran up, and they chased the two men that were left down the deserted road to the little bay. There was a small petrol launch lying close in shore, and one of the .men shouted something, in German, it was supposed, but no one knew the language. Immediately afterwards the launch put her bows round and went right out to sea. _It was just getting dusk at the time. She f : went cut of sight, but the soldiers caught the two men. And here comes/the important point: these two men actually had on them shorthand notes and sketch, maps of one of the most guarded positions •inside the "fortified ; area," I don't know all the details of what followed, but they've been shot.

But that's not the. most dramatic part of this evening's business. It was suspected that more men had come ashoi'6 from the launch than the three the soldier found. A general alarm was sent out immediately, and extra precautions were taken, especially in guarding the railroad. The precaution was well justified, for less than an hour ago two men were found (caught in the very act) trying to blow up one of the railway bridges, so as to destroy communication between here and the frontier. These two men were given exactly one, minute to prepare themselves. They were1 shoved against the pier of the bridge, and the firing party • shot them from so close a distance'that one man's clothes caught, fire.