ed to her persecutors that she actually was a woman, but
that fact no longer protects her. Brutal instincts, once let loose, are
mad and unrestrained. Blows continue to fall on her head and kicks rain
against her body. She only tries to shield her eyes. 'Take her to the
police station' was shouted, but that is some distance away. And any
second may mean death--a horrible, disgraceful death.

"Having arrived in the guard-room the officials are soon convinced that
they have to do with an absolutely innocent woman. Outside the throngs
yelled in triumph."[54]

[Footnote 54: _Breslauer Generalanzeiger_, August 6th.]

A German officer wrote the following account to the _Berliner Zeitung am
Mittag_ (August 5th): "May I supplement your article 'Spies and
Spy-hunting' with a few facts from my own personal knowledge. On August
3rd no fewer than sixty-four spies (?) were brought into the police
station at the Potsdamer Railway Station (Berlin). Not one was kept in
arrest, for the simple fact that they were all innocent German citizens.

"Among others who were 'captured' and threatened with death by the
raging crowd on the Potsdamer Platz were: A pensioned Prussian major,
who was waiting for his son; a surgeon in the Landwehr; a high official
from the Courts of Justice; and lastly, a pensioned Bavarian army
officer who, on account of his stature, was thought to be a Russian. A
drunken shop-assistant egged on the crowd against this last suspect, so
that his life was really in danger. He was rescued by four Prussian
officers, who pretended to arrest their Bavarian colleague, and were in
this way able to lead him into safety."

This twentieth-century reign of terror is not, however, without a ray of
humour. The semi-official _Koelnische Zeitung_ (August 4th) contained a
legend which set all Germany hunting for French motor-cars. "Several
motor-cars with ladies in them, taking gold to Russia, are on their way
across Germany. They must be stopped and a communication sent to the
nearest military or police station."

"The occupants of the motor-cars carrying gold to Russia are said to
have transferred the precious metal to cyclists dressed as
bricklayers."[55]

[Footnote 55: _Das Kleine Journal_ (Berlin), August 5th.]

"The official announcement that French and Russian motor-cars had been
seen on our country roads has aroused the otherwise leaden, heavy
imaginations of the country people to the most incredible delirium. We
will l