_
It was unsigned.
While reading, Sir Anderson held the five ten-pound notes in his hand.
Upon finishing he began a vigorous indictment which in substance he
declaimed in this way.
"On the face of it, this letter does not seem suspicious. But if you
gentlemen will recall the times of Prince Charles' insurrections,
periods whenever intrigues were going on, you will remember that in
communications of this sort a government was always referred to as a
'firm.' If this was an honest business letter why was it enclosed in
the envelope stationery of a company that knew nothing about it? Why
was this letter unsigned? Why was cash enclosed, with it? What was
his firm willing to pay 100 pounds for? Gentlemen, the reasons for
all these things are obvious."
But the letter puzzled not only the court, the jury, the newspapers,
but all England. For the first time I shall now explain it:
It was from the German government. By the "business at hand" they
meant a new explosive and slow-burning powder that was to be used in
the new type of fourteen-inch turret guns being made in Glasgow. Some
of that explosive was in my possession. The fact that it was not
discovered in my effects, nor was anything else incriminating found on
me is because the Secret Agent who knows his business leaves nothing
about; but he "plants" things, that is to say, leaves them in a safe
deposit vault with the key in the hands of a person with power of
attorney.
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