“BLOOD-MONEY.”

Taihape Daily Times, 7 July 1919, Page 5

“BLOOD-MONEY.”

2 --—ro)———BETRAYAL on NURSE C‘AVELL_ FRENCHMAN UNDER ARREST _ !' .t | I 1 The most notorious case of all of gwhat are called the “blood-money” itrials—thc proceedings taken against [French subjects in the districts 01100 ‘under German occupation, who beltrayed htic rc.i&lsJ ‘trayed their compatriots to the Hun EinVa.der——is that Of the Frenchman !Kl-ein, who is charged amonsotfier iortences equally hideous, with having {given the inforniation to the Germans iwhich led to the arrest and execution ‘of Miss Edith Cavell. . The case against this man has been ‘worked up with ‘an elaboration and shrewdness which bids fair to defeat all the elaborate precautions he and his supposed employers have taken ‘against his detection, ! Krcin, who was a porter at a religious establishment near Brussels be!fore the War broke out, afterwards ‘played minor parts in the execution of the elaborate scheme by which the “111”1d0I'g1-ou11d” passage was maintained for the escape of Allied sub[jects of all 11atidn'a.lities from Bel'gium. ~ Not only is there no scrap of documentary evidence to convict him of the. abominable treachery with which he is charged‘. but it can be put for'ward for his defence that he has suffered two terms of illlprisonment- at German hands, andhas been fined on several occasions for minor offences. ‘But his Belgian associates began to notice how often‘disaster overtook iplans in which he was concerned, and though he invariably seemed to suf1‘ fer from Geramn harshness, distrust of ‘him grew, and a final test of his straightncss was devised. ’ In this case arrangements were made for smuggling out of the coun‘try a refugee who only existed in the imaginations’ of the men and women ‘who contrived this trap for the Gerlman agent.

I Krein entered upon his part in the ['adventure with his usual enthusiasm, and was given a number of misleading instructions and orders. The result fully confirmed the sus,picions of those who had laid the trap for him. The Germans attempted to arrest the non-existent refugee, and were covered with confusion as a result. V - ‘ { Krcin was actually detained in the ‘I very act of attempting to escape from ‘Belgium across the Dutch frontier, and was handed over to the French authorities. ‘ .- An investigation of the mass of eviJdence against him connected him with the case of Miss Edith Caveil, :but should thatcharge fail there are others which can be brought against ‘him with more absolute certainty o-f lhis conviction. i Mrein is only one an'l'ong?t number zof traitors who betrayed men and welmen of their own race for blood-money