Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of EnglandLe Queux, William
History
Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England
Le Queux, William
Espionage, German -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Invasions -- Fiction; Intelligence service -- Fiction; Spy stories
"You'll never take me!" cried Freeman in defiance. But next moment these
men, all of them constables in plain clothes, closed with him.
For a moment there was another desperate struggle, when with startling
suddenness a shot rang out, and I saw Bramberger drop to the floor like
a stone at my feet.
Freeman had wrested a weapon from one of his assailants and killed his
fellow-spy; while, next instant, without reflection, he turned the
revolver upon himself, and, before they could prevent him, had put a
shot through his own brain, inflicting a wound that within half a minute
proved mortal.
When we searched the cellars of the "Goat and Binnacle" we found no
fewer than eighty-two cases of rifle cartridges; while next morning, in
a small cottage within a stone's-throw of the "White Hart" at Burnham,
we discovered sixty-odd cases of ammunition for various arms, together
with ten cases of gun cotton and some other high explosives. Also we
found six big cases full of proclamations, printed in English,
threatening all who opposed the German advance with death. The document
was a very remarkable one, and deeming it of sufficient interest, I have
reproduced it in these pages.
DECREE CONCERNING THE POWER OF COUNCILS OF WAR.
WE, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF EAST ANGLIA, by virtue of the powers
conferred upon us by His Imperial Majesty the German Emperor,
Commander-in-Chief of the German Armies, order, for the
maintenance of the internal and external security of the
counties of the Government-General:--
ARTICLE I.--Any individual guilty of incendiarism or of wilful
inundation, of attack, or of resistance with violence, against
the Government-General or the agents of the civil or military
authorities, of sedition, of pillage, of theft with violence,
of assisting prisoners to escape, or of inciting soldiers to
treasonable acts, shall be PUNISHED BY DEATH.
In the case of any extenuating circumstances, the culprit may
be sent to penal servitude with hard labour for twenty years.
ARTICLE II.--Any person provoking or inciting an individual to
commit the crimes mentioned in Article I. will be sent to penal
servitude with hard labour for ten years.
ARTICLE III.--Any person propagating false reports relative to
the operations of war or political events will be imprisoned
for one year, and fined up to £100.
In any case where the affirmation or propagation may cause
prejudice against the German army, or against any authorities
or functionaries established by it, the culprit will be sent to
hard labour for ten years.
ARTICLE IV.--Any person usurping a public office, or who
commits any act or issues any order in the name of a public
functionary, will be imprisoned for five years, and fined £150.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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