"Glasgow Spy Case": newspaper reports

Numerous newspaper clippings (1912-1916) concerning the arrest and trial, under the Official Secrets Act (1911), of Dr Armgaard Karl Graves. With two subsequent clippings (1916) concerning his arrest in Washington (on a charge of blackmail, charges eventually dropped), and a clipping (1929) referring to his arrest in Los Angeles for grand theft.

Graves was arrested at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow (14 April, 1912) on suspicion of spying. He was tried (July, 1912) and found guilty. Amongst his possessions on arrest was a Burroughs Wellcome & Co diary, in which a code was concealed. A wrongly-addressed letter, intended for Dr Graves, was sent to him using a (fabricated) envelope bearing the name Burroughs Wellcome & Co, and was returned by the Post Office to the Company, as the apparent sender. In London, Burroughs Wellcome & Co clerical staff opened the envelope and discovered two letters in German and two bank notes. Scotland Yard was contacted.

One of the more extensive cuttings (The Montreal Herald and The Daily Telegraph, 24 October, 1914) comprises an extract concerning the affair from Graves' memoir, The Secrets of The German War Office (1914).

1912-1929

1 file

WF/L/08/20 and WF/L/08/21.

Copyright assigned to the Wellcome Trust