FOUR YEARS IN A FORTRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 234, 11 February 1911, Page 9

FOUR YEARS IN A FORTRESS.

GFmiW'S SENTENCE OF THE BRTTISH OFFICERS.

London, December 23. The "Teat Borkum espionage trial at Loipzi'-'endcd yesterday afternoon. Captain Tien«h, the marine officer, and Lieutenant Brandon, the naval officer, whose wanderings in and about the German islands in the North Sea have so seriously disturbed the equanimity of the Fatherland, were each sentenced to four years' detention,in a fortress, after the prosecuting counsel had brought elaborate charges of systematic espionage on German defences against the British Government. , Detention in a fortress is a form of punishment known to festive young Germans as "honorable custody, and is frequently meted out to officers who are too enthusiastic duellists, or guilty of other indiscretions. Although their i.oerty is somewhat curtailed, no restriction is placed on their eating and drinking, and it is possible for prisoners to become even riotously merry in each other's company. The frankness and bearing oi Captain Trench and Lieutenant Brandon greatly impressed the Leipzig Court, and the Public Prosecutor congratulated the former on his unselfish desire to take all the blame on himself in connection with the incident which led to their arrest on Borkum' Tsland.

Tlic Deputy Public Prosecutor was very swooping in his charges against the British flovernment. Ho said Captain Trench and Lieutenant Brandon were aboard the cadet training-ship Cornwall which she had made ''a highly suspicious, vovage along the German coast, obviously for the purpose of observation." and that thev were sent by the Admiralty to Germany to follow up the results of that cruise. Part of yesterday's trial was conducted behind closed doors, and it was obvious from the prosecuting counsel's speech that the experts called then held the theory that Captain Trench and Lieutenant Brandon's observations were connected with British plans for a sudden descent on the German coast. ' Both officers express themselves as be-, ing satisfied with their trial, which wasj conducted in terms "almost friendly."; The defence was conducted under the in ttroctions of Sir William Bull's law firm.