It consisted of a tipster's circular, some newspaper cuttings concerning football, a rough sketch of how the water supply of North Shields could be cut off, and a private letter from a business man which may be of interest if I reproduce it. It read as follows:
"Berkeley Chambers, "Cannon Street, "London, E.C., "May 3rd, 1908.
"My dear John,
"I herewith enclose the interest in advance—four five-pound notes.
"Continue to act as you have done, and obtain orders wherever possible.
"Business just now, I am glad to say, leaves but little to be desired, and we hope that next year your share of profits may be increased.
"We have every confidence in this, you understand.
"Write to us oftener and give us news of your doings, as we are always interested in your welfare.
"It is unwise of you, I think, to doubt Uncle Charles, for I have always found him to be a man in whom one can repose the utmost confidence. He is, I believe, taking a house near Tynemouth.
"Every one is at present well, but the spring in London is always trying. However, we are hoping for warmer weather.
"My wife and the children, especially little Charlie,
Frederick, and Charlotte—who is growing quite a big girl—send their love to you.
"Your affectionate cousin,
"Henry Lewis."
That letter, innocent enough upon the face of it, contained certain instructions to the spy, besides enclosing his monthly payment of £20.
Read by the alphabetical instructions with which every German secret agent is supplied and which vary in various districts, the message it contained was as follows:
(Phrase I) I send you your monthly payment.
(Phrase 2) Your informations during the past month are satisfactory.
(Phrase 3) Your service in general is giving satisfaction, and if it continues so, we shall at the next inspection augment your monthly payment.
(Phrase 4) We wish you, however, to send us more detailed notes, and report oftener.
(Phrase 5) Cease your observations upon Charles. We have what we require. Turn your attention to defences at Tynemouth.
(Phrase 6) As you know, the chief (spring) is very difficult to please, for at the last inspection we were given increased work.
(Phrase 7) Remain in negotiation with your three correspondents—Charles (meaning the foreman, Rosser), Charlotte, and Frederick—until you hear further. You may make them offers for the information.
Thus it will be seen that any one into whose hands this letter from "Henry Lewis" fell would be unable to ascertain its real meaning.
The fictitious Lewis, we afterwards discovered, occupied a small office in Berkeley Chambers in the guise of a commission agent, but was no doubt the travelling agent whose actions were controllable by Hermann Hartmann, but who in turn controlled the fixed agents of that district lying between the Humber and the Tweed.
Most of these travelling agents visit their fixed agents—the men who do the real work of espionage—in the guise of a commercial traveller if the agent is a shopkeeper, or if he is not, he will represent himself as a client or an insurance agent, an auctioneer or a house agent. This last métier is greatly recommended by the German Secret Police as the best mode of concealing espionage, and is adopted by the most dangerous and ingenious of the spies.