"INFORMERS OF LAON"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 199, 18 May 1920, Page 7

"INFORMERS OF LAON"

■ EOUE EXECUTED. , •Parisi May 15. Eour of ■ the Laon traitors, including a woman, have been executed.—Aux.-N.Z. Cable Assn. [Twenty-five prisoners, described ns' the informers of Laon—twenty were Trench, including twelve women, four were Germans, and one was a .Belgian-were arraigned some months ago for treasontind spying. The ohief, was a German named Thomas, an Alsatian, who acted .in Laon as a Hun secret agent. His chief business was to unearth stray Allied soldiers and induce the French to spy. on one another. Most of the other prisoners were his dupes or paid agents. Schorii was shot as the result of the gang's denunciation, and many others ivero imprisoned. Thomas was arrested .in Paris. Ho-sup-plied the authorities with information I of those in Germany's pay during'tho occupation of Laon. The-most'notable of the prisoners, was Toque, an ex-colonial' administrator, who betrayed many-of his compatriots) Toque and seven, others were sentenced to death, and other's to various terms of imprisonment, including Thomas, to a year. Six were acquitted.] . .•" .