STORY OF ALLEGED SPY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 5

STORY OF ALLEGED SPY

, . _ «. LIFE AT A LONDON HOTEL. Visitors to the Savoy Hotel. Loridon, have quite vivid memories of Mme. Despya Davidovitoli Storsch, the attractive Turkish woman, and Baron Henri de Beville. .her French companion, who have been, arrested in New York as alleged spies. The two came to London soon after war broke out and occupied rooms iu Savoy Court. Madame is a short, dark woman of Oriental east of features with a decidedly Parisian taste in dress. While at the Savoy Hotel she wore fashionable and expensive gowns, the style of which attracted general attention. The large hats which sho wore with her semi-evening toilettes gave her a manner suggestive of the women to be met at the luxurious Paris restaurants. She showed off her charms to the best advantage, and her particularly flue eyes were especially noticeable. In conversation Mme. Despya was free with her confidences, mentioned that sho had been: born in Constantinople, but brought up and naturalised in' France, and added that the reason for the baron leaving France was His desire, being of military age, though medically rejected, to escape the unpleasant notoriety of all men supposed to be embusques. While the pair were not extravagant in their expenditure the woman gave every evidence of being in possession of amnio funds. Her jewellery, mostly consisting of peals, indicated both taste and prosperity. ; At the time of their arrival in London the present system of registration had not yet come into being, but aliens of every description arrivißg from the Continent came under tho aegis of the authorities, and the touple were no exception to the rulo. The striking dress of the woman alono singled her out, but there was a further point of interrogation in regard to her in the abnormal inquisitivehess and .cutiosity which she displayed. She was always inquiring who such and such a person in tho hotel or restaurant was. and was not rebuffed by the bland but evasive answers which are adopted by officials in tho establishment. .In those days French and Russian Missions frequently sought tho hospitality of the hotel, and it is noteworthy that Mme Despya spoko both French and.Russian fluently. It is not truo that she ever did much entertaining, though she returned the hospitality of a millionaire' Ureek whoso acquaintance she cultivated. A constant topic with her was tho difficulties of travelling in war lime and the unpleasant formalities to which tho traveller had to submit himself. Mostly sho spoke in French, professing to have "little iwglisv at her command. Tho pair left the hotel hurriedly on September 1G 1015 alter nearly a year's stay. At 7.30 that evening they had no knowledge of their impending departure. "I remember quite well their speaking to mo at this hour, states M. Soi, tho Savoy Hotel manager "and it was plain that leaving that night was the last tiling in their thoughts... Something happened to compel them to leave at short notice, for at nino o clock, just as I was having my dinner, they sent in for me to say 'Goodbye. 'My recollection of them' is that thoy looked nervous and agitated I myself was surprised to find that'they were going at such short warning. Tho ibaron paid his bill in notes, and thoy drove away. Tho instructions they left were for letters and cablegrams to bo sent on to the Avenida Palaco Hotel, Lisbon, and wo have readdressed there one or two cablegrams for the baron. Mme Storsch, or, ns sho called herself hers, Mme. .Hesketh, dressed nearly always in black. • She liked asking questions, but I am afraid that tho information sho got gave her little satisfaction It is nover tho business of an hotel manager to satisfy curiosity, and in this caso I saw no reason to depart from the discreet regulation. I remenibor Mme. Hesketh saying that tho baron had a chateau in France."