MOST DANGEROUS SPY.

Shannon News, 3 October 1924, Page 1

MOST DANGEROUS SPY.

CAREER OF ARCH-JMPOSTER. ANTI-BRITISH WAR PLOT. SCHEME TO DESTROY FLEET. Among the mei of notoriety witli whom ex-Chief Warder John Gibbs came in contact during: his period of service as principal wardex at Pentonville was Ignatius Tribitsch Lincoln, o:ne time M.P . for Partington. Lincoln —or Tribitsch—is the notorious international spy who schemed the destruction of the British Fleet during the war. He has been called the world's greatest living impostor, a spy and traitor in every country which has pven him hospitality. At Pentonville, says a London papex Mr. Gibbs had many opportunities of fprmi'ng a judgment of the true character of the mysterious Hungarian, whose boorish conduct made him thoroughly detessted, even in prison. Lincoln was always arrogant and overbearing. To quote the ex-chief warder, "he treated everyone with contempt, from the Governor downwards." Lincoln served his sentence of three years' penal servitude for forgery at Parkhurst, and when it expired he was sent to Pentonville to await deportation. "He seemed to resent being detained after finishing his term, and made himself an absolute nuisance and a pest," Mr. Gibbs said.

"Lincoln," continued Mr. Gibbs, "was always complaining about something or other, and scarcely a day passed without his making an application to the governor for special privileges, in spite'of tbe fact that he had been sentenced for a criminal offence. We all regarded him as a very dangerous man," said the ex-warder,, "for we knew he was suspected of being a spy. As a matter of fact, he was utterly unscrupulous, 7 ready to enter the secret service of any country and turn traitor at any moment. There is no doubt he was receiving money for espionage from several countries, and selling information to them all about each other. A Swindler at Seventeen.

"Lincoln spoke a number of European language quite fluently, and had travelled in many parts of the world. We could never understand why he was mereiy deported instead of being put on trial as a spy. While he was in Pentonville nobody visited him. He appeared to be alone in the world; yet he never lost a trace of his effrontary." In many respects this audacious impostor—whose real name is Tribitsch —is one of the most astounding characters in international politics. His career is crammed with astonishing adventures, audacious impostures, calculating intrigues, and treacheries and treasons. He was born of Jewish parents i"n. Buda * Pesth. At 17 he was hounded out of the country by the police for swindling, and took refuge in England, making the East End of London the centre of his new activities. .

Coming into contact with an East End missioner, he professed his desire to abandon his religion, and persuaded his dupe to send him to an institution in Bilstol. Keligion as a Cloak. Throughout his career Tribitsch has used either religion or politics to dmpose on the good-hearted and pious. He was turned out of the Bristol refuge for bad conduct, and returned to London and ingratiated himself with a clergymam,, receiving montetary help, sympathy and hospitality. This he repaid by robbing his benefactor's wife and absconding. After this episode, Tribitsch returned to the Continent, taking good care to keep clear of Hungary, where a warrant awaited him. He hit on Hamburg, and there married.

Then Lincoln went to Canada, leaving his young wife behind, and, as before, got into touch with religious people. After receiving financial help fom the Presbyterians, he became the subject of suspicion, and was refused ordination. He then went over to the Anglicans, successfully camouflaged his past, and was ordained in Montreal.

After two years in Canada,, Tribitsch returned to Germany, but as a Jew clergyman of a foreign Church he was at once suspected. He returned to England. For a short time he won the good graees of the Church authorities, and served as curate of Appledore in Kent. From there he went to a Quaker school in Yorkshire. Here he got his footing. He met -Ir. Seebohm Rowntree, philanthropist and social reformer, convinced that gentleman of his zeal for social work, and contrived to get himself appointed as private secretary. To gather information on social conditions, he was paid by his patron to travel through Europe.

Entry Into Parliament. On Lincoln's return to England he conceived hisi great idea of getting into Parliament. He was adopted as candidate for Darlington, and at the election, in January, 1910, although speaking English with a guttural accent, was returned. As M.P., Tribitsch, who had now taken the name of Lincoln,, found his credit good, and borrowed right and left. But when the December election of 1910 came on his real character was becoming known; many sinister rumours were afloat, and he was not invited to standagain. When the war broke out Lincoln was living in Rumanian Oalicia, He

went straight back to England, the countary of his adoption. With consummate impudence he approached the authorities and got himself appointed censor of Hungarian correspondence, a post which very well suited his real purpose, which was to obtain information for the enemy. There is no doubt that Lincoln's real plan was to insinuate himself into the British Secret Service. He did so in a characteristically audacious manner. He came forwaird with a grand plan for the* annihilation of the German Imperial Fleet. An Anti-BritUi Spy.

As a matter of fact, Lincoln's plan was one elaborated by the German Admiralty in Berlin, with whom he was in close co-operation, and the scheme aimed at the destruction of the British Fleet- It is now known that in December, I#l4, when he was permitted to g» to Holland, he met tha chief of the German Secret Service, and received detailed instructions, ! codes, plans and other material for spy work. When Lincoln returned he was a marked man. He approached the Admiralty and War Office. He was listened to in silence. Quick-witted, he saw that he was suspected. He became I scare 4 and fled "to New. York. In America he was arrestgd soon after % l his arrival for forging a guarantee In the name of his former patron, M/. Seebohm Rowntree. He escaped from prison, and for a year remained at large. He was eventually re-arrested, extradited to England, tried and sen- " fenced to three years' penal servitude, de-naturalised, and, after serving his' deported.