FIVE YEARS FOR SPYING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 559, 11 January 1929, Page 9

FIVE YEARS FOR SPYING

DANISH OFFICER TRIED IN GERMANY WORKING FOR FRANCE? (United P.A. — By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Thursday. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” reports that after a secret trial in the Supreme Court at Leipzig a Danish officer, Captain Lembouru, was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude for espionage. Accused's accomplice, a German woman clerk, Fraulein Stegermann, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. It is understood that Lembouru contended that he undertook to make certain inquiries on behalf of a friend who had heard he intended to take a holiday in Germany. He had not expected that these inquiries would lead him to espionage. Accused pleaded that he only wanted to ascertain if the Nationalists were organising or planning an attack on the Danish frontier. In summing up the judge pointed out that Lembourn had sought information as to the training of air pilots and the manufacture of armaments. XL was also clear that he was not acting on behalf of Denmark, but of a foreign Power working through Copenhagen. LOVE LED HER ASTRAY The judge found that there were extenuating circumstances in the case of Fraulein Stegermann whom, he said, love had led astray. However, she should have hearkened to her friends’ warning that Lembourn was employing her for espionage. Although uo Power was mentioned at the trial all Germany assumes that France was meant. It is pointed out that Lembourn, who posed as an Englishman under the name of Brown, was formerly seconded for the French Army and arranged that Fraulein Stegermann should procure a post in the Ministry of Defence.