GERMAN SPY STORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 8 October 1926, Page 9

GERMAN SPY STORY.

Revelations at Inquiry. MILD SENSATION IN GERMANY. By Cable —Preu Association —Copyright. Au.trallan and N.Z. Cable Association (Received October 7, 8.55 p.m.) LONDON, October 7. Tho story of an alleged German spy was told before the Anglo-German mixed tribunal sitting in London, when Herman Leibbrand was sued for £lolß by the bankruptcy trustee. Counsel for. claimant said the first suggestion that lioibbrand was in the servico of the German Government arose in 19.11, at' tho time of tho Agadir incident, when ho was scon in possession of a telegram which translated said: “Wirrel (meaning exKaiser) about to jump.” In 1912, Leibbrand rented a house at hclixstowe, and endeavoured to secure control of electrical undertakings, and sought to construct a light railway which was of no use in a sparsely populated district, but would have been of enormous-utility to an invading army. It is further alleged that Leibbrand took soundings at sea under the pretence that he was fishing. "When tho war broke out, he destroyed a largo number of documents, and buried others in a garden. Ho was denounced, and interned, but later repatriated. Counsel, on behalf of the Gorman Government, argued that Leibbrand had no state, having forfeited lii.s German nationality owing to ten years’ absence from the country. He also denied that lie belonged to the Secret Service, and askd why, if Leibbrand was. a spy, lie was not courtmartialled. . Counsel Tor claimant replied that tho British Government was not in possession of the facts which hath been disclosed since.