Show 2 t r ri i IT H N I VI TIM OF f WnM iOE Writer W. W riter Tells How v Female Female Female Fe Fe- male German Spies Spie S 1 Obtained Information 1 1 Leading to Sinkin Sinking g The tOI O following story by a well known know n staff start correspondent for tor a London newspaper newspaper news paper purports to give the first rea real 1 story solving the mystery of ot how Ilow Lord Lort d Kitchener cam came to meet his death In th the e sinking of or the Hampshire Obviously th the e results of ot his Investigation are glen given n for tor what they are worth at face ace value nj j By GORDON STILES B BERLIN ERLIN March l 23 No No I greater mystery has survived survived sur sur- the war than the sinking g I of the H. H M. M S S. S Hampshire with wit 1 Lord Kitchener and his Ids staff on of onboard 1 board In June of ot 1916 For a long time and even oven to this thi s day you will hear the opinion ex expressed expressed expressed ex- ex pressed that Kitchener did not meet mee t his death when the ship which was wa s I f carrying him to Russia went down dow n I off oft the Shetland Isles The story wa was that his usefulness at the British war wa r I office ottic had come como to an end and that tha I arrangements had been made for Cor hl him m I to disappear for a time at least I Many bets were vere laid at Lloyds i in n I London that the British war secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary would reappear before the wa war r should end LONG INQUIRY The general opinion was held that tha t the Hampshire had been sunk by a an n Infernal machine placed inside th the e ship as the result of ot German activity That Is not true But Kitchener di did d die as the result of ot German activity and after atter a long and patient investigation invest gation gatlon In Germany during daring the las last t two years I am able to give the solution solution tion of at the mystery and reveal In se sequence sequence sequence se- se quence the events which led up t to o I the death of at the British war chief I have havo the story from the lips o of ot p certain of ot the German agents wh who I I were concerned In the plot and th the fact that two Independent separate e I accounts that have been given m me of check perfectly in addition to th the I logical aspect of at the tale has convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced me of ot the truth of the statements statements state state- ments made I may add that my in informers informers in- in formers have even now no idea that their revelations will se see the light o of type GAINED CONFIDENCE It was In a little flat In n strasse here In Berlin that I first firs i cape came Into the knowle knowledge g of oi o tt e astonIshing aston astonishing story I am about to relate It I t came to me In bits Inspired at firsby first firs I Iby by nips of at brandy on th the e I part of the narrators and later b by y j I Ithe the confidences bred of ot a long series serie series series' s' s of social evenings when many ex ex- ex I agents of ot the German secret service e were present They have become less les s I reticent In regard to their former forme r activities of ot late and are inclined incline rather to boast of their deeds than t to conceal them The flat In question was occupied d by Frau Elby Boecker widow of an English officer who was killed in th the e Dardanelles Frau Boecker is a German German Ger Ger- I man woman of ot the tho black haired dark dar type with brilliant brown eyes mos most attractive In appearance She is about abou I 35 years of age MEETS SPANIARD After Atter her husbands husband's death In 1915 I she found herself at loose ends m in i n London and naturally her nationality Y I did not tend to make her path easy y Also her supply of ot money was fast tast becoming exhausted Nevertheless sh she e I ha had a good many friends and wasgen was wa wase seen e almost I ve nightly tl at one or another h of the West End restaurants s u t One o of r f I her especial companions was Frau Fra n I Ritz Needless to say neither of these thes e names Is that by which its it's owner owne r I was known in the tho British capital J One evening e. at the Cafe Royal i in n I Regent street Frau Boetker Boecker was Introduced in In- In to a Spaniard named Alvarez Alvarez Alva Alva- rez who appeared to be profoundly profound y I Impressed by the lady and sought sough t I permission to see her again A meeting meetIng meet meet- Ing was arranged In a tiny Soho Soh o eating house and after aCter carefully careful Y sounding his companion Alvarez pu put t It to her bluntly that he was In German German German Ger Ger- man man pay and asked her If It she would undertake certain minor work fo for r which she would be well rewarded Seeing no other means of at a livelihood d at t hand Frau Boecker consented and an d was given marks as a retainer BECAME INFATUATED Soon she came to know that Frau Fra u Ritz was wa's employed in a similar ca capacity ca- ca pacify and often otten the two would b be e assigned to pump British officers who were home on leave The system was the time honored one of Inducing their prey to drink freely and picking up what they could Owing OwinS to her dark skin h Frau au Boecker easily posed as a Spanish woman while Frau Ritz who spoke English without an accent let It be understood that she was a native of at England According to Fra Frau u Boecker Doecker r It t was Frau Ritz who actually turned the trick In the Kitchener case and It came carne about In this manner be A certain n officer of at Lord Kitchener's Kitchener's Kitchen Kitchen- of It ers er's staff became Violently Infatuated ii with Frau Ritz and for many months Ii before the sinking sinkin of or the Ua Hampshire f be of It he the pair pall were together al almost eve every evening The fine officer in question will williot not be named because he went to th the e bottom ottom with his chief and no good purpose purpose pur pur- pose ose would be ser ed by disclosing hi his s identity DROPS INFORMATION However it Is certain that when he henad h e had nad been drinking he was Inclined t toe to toye p ye e Indiscreet and many a useful bi bit t military Information was dropped d nto into eager ears ears and thus conveyed t to e Alvarez or someone designated by lit Wm m for tor its reception And at last a a. hint hin t was dropped that the war secretary I was planning planning- a long trip abroad Kitchener's destination was not mentioned at first and both Frau I Ritz and Frau Boecker were too I II clever to ask questions but the fact I that the officer had said he would I be separated from his' his friends for I some time made it clear that Kitchener Hitch Kitch ener was bound for somewhere besides be besides be- be sides France When hen this was re reported reported re- re ported parted to one of at Alvarez's Alvarezs lieutenants he became Intensely Interested and cautioned the women to use the utmost utmost ut utmost ut- ut I most tact In the matter and to concentrate concentrate cont con- con upon obtaining detailed Int In In- I t I j t formation In regard to Kitchener's proposed Journey I So well were his Instructions followed followed fol- fol lowed that on a June evening In the Imperial restaurant London the staff officer actually told his companions that he was to accompany his chief to Russia and named the date as well as the ship and point of departure All of or which was passed passed on before the next morning Evidently E the officer realized next l I morning that he had made an indiscreet InI Indiscreet In- In discreet t admission because he made I it a point to Invite his two friends out that evening and mentioned that Kitchener was going to Italy giving i the same date that he had set the I Ithe I night before for the departure from Scapa Flow for Russia But the two I women were not to be fooled They 1 saw through his ruse and the damage damage damage dam dam- age was done Even while the luckless staff officer officer was trying to undo the mischief he had wrought word had been passed to the head of the German GermanI naval intelligence and plans Were under way to sink the Hampshire I Two submarines were told off of ot otI th the work worl and these hastened to aI a I point off the where the Hampshire's logical route lay The I Germans reckoned rightly that the British would rely on absolute secrecy se- se se secrecy crecy stead 1 of or sending the ship over a roundabout unnatural course The submarines were very busy during the thirty hours preceding the sailing of ot the Hampshire many scores f t mines were strewn In the path it t wd wa Iva believed she would take Then the two submarines lay in wait walt with the Intention of using their torpedoes torpedoes torpedoes tor tor- if It possible SUNK BY MINE As It turned out it was a mine not a toredo torpedo that sent te Hamp Ramp Hampshire Hampshire shire to tl 3 bottom of the sea She i had h. h entered the area where Ithe the Germans had been operating I when she came Into contact with amine a amine I mine and went down carrying allhands all all' allhands hands with her Frau Boecker v as unable to take I part In the rejoicings of her London friends over the success of their coup She had gleaned a little in- in in-I in n- n j t i in another direction and had received marks for her he r I keenness But somehow the British agents came ame to suspect her of ot irregularities irregularities irregularities ir- ir ir- ir regularities and she was arrested an and d I j in n Holloway l 1 1 WAS DEPORTED I Her sojourn there lasted five lye months and falling failing taIto to g get et the necessary I sary evidence against her the British authorities released and her herI hervia I via Holland She told me with glee of how she and other German suspects suspects suspects sus sus- used to sing Deutschland Uber 1 Alles for the benefit of ot the prison officials and of ot other devices to torment tor ment their keepers She laughingly described their method of ot baiting I pigeons with a piece of at bacon rind on a str string ng until they would come comein I in through the barred windows only to have their necks wrung Then when assigned to duty in the kitchen or washhouse of the Jail Jal the ImprIsoned Imprisoned imprisoned women would cook the tho birds and thus obtain a welcome addition to their somewhat scanty rations NOW IN MUNICH For Par her part In the Kitchener af affair affair at- at fair Frau Ritz HItz received marks and feeling nervous about remainIng remainIng remaining remain- remain Ing in England after atter the arrest of ot Frau Boecker she the fled to Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzer Switzer- land and eventually crossed into Austria At present she is living In Munich and visits Frau Boecker in Berlin i at Intervals of ot about three i months s. s How much or il n to of or this story is I I I Known to the British admiralty I do I i I not know All An that has been given j r out In the original laconic statement ills Is that the Hampshire was vas sunk and i Lord Kitchener Hitchener drowned And it is I I likely that no more will be heard I from tram that quarter I |