THE SPY.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 May 1918, Page 7

THE SPY.

TEN YEARS EOR A WOMAN. WIDOW TRIED IN SECRET AT THE OLD BAILEY. Louise, Mathilde Smith, a middleaged widow, was sentenced to ten years' penal servitude at the Old Bailey on charges under the Defence of the Realm Act of communicating information with intent to assist the enemy and of attempting to transmit through the post certain printed matter in a mannner to evade detection by the postal censor. In consequence of an application by £sir A. Bodkin, on behalf of the Crown, that the case should be heard in camera, on the ground of national safety, the public were excluded, and the trial began behind locked doors.

After the woman had been found guilty on all counts the court was thrown open, and Mr Justice Avery, addressing her, said: ‘'The jury have found you guilty of this offence, and that you committed it with the intention of assisting the

enemy renders, you liable to be sentenced to death. I have mentioned that in order that other persons may take warning. In your case I will act on the assumption in your favour that this is an isolated transaction. I give you the benefit of any doubt that there may be on that point, but you must realise that such an offence can only be met by severe punishment in the hope, —perhapsi the vain hope*— that it may deter others. The sentence is that you be kept in penal servitude for ten years. ’ ’ The woman, who wore widow’s stared intently at the judge for a moment, and then turned quickly to the stairs leading to the cells.