Despina Storch (1894/95-1918)

DOSSIER:
Despina Davidovitch, daughter of a Bulgarian father and German mother, was born on 1 Jan 1895 in Istanbul (perhaps Constantinople). She died 30 Mar 1918 at immigration headquarters (Ellis Island) where she was held pending deportation to France on suspicion of being a spy.

She married Frenchman Paul Storch when she was 17 years old. Though they later divorced, their former marriage created a peculiar situation due to Paul's service in the French army while his ex-wife was suspected of spying for France's enemies.

CODE NAMES:
Madame Nezie
Madame Hesketh
Madame Davidovitch
Madame Despina
Baroness de Bellville

Despina was a frequent guest at parties due to her beauty, a fluency in French and her dancing skill. At many parties she had no difficulty getting in contact with military officers who served for Allied forces and ambassadors of countries engaged in war.

She was accompanied almost everywhere by a mysterious Baron Henri de Beville. While in Madrid, Despina and the baron were noticed contacting German agents. After the couple became aware of the suspicions they quickly left Spain for Havana. They later made their way to the United States, accompanied by Mrs. Elizabeth Charlotte Nix (a German woman) and a man who purportedly was a French count named Robert de Clairmont. As soon as the "curious quartet" arrived in the U.S. they were placed under suspicion by the Department of Justice.

Authorities later seized a safe deposit box held for Madame Storch in a New York Bank. It contained important correspondence, with notable people from around the world, some of which was coded.

At first the co-conspirators were not aware of the scrutiny they were under. When it became known to Storch, she attempted to send her trunks to Panama, but they were intercepted. Realizing the danger they were in, the Baron and Storch obtained French passports and made plans to flee to Cuba. After their plans became known to the Justice Department, all four were arrested on 18 Mar 1918 and send to Ellis Island. The authorities tried to follow a suspicious money trail left by the four, but were not able to prove nor disprove that espionage had taken place. Eventually, the four were deported from the U.S. as "undesirables".

While on Ellis Island they all became ill. Three recovered, but Despina died on March 30 of what was described as pneumonia. At the time, authorities believed she died of natural causes, but some publications later indicated she could have bitten on a poisoned capsule.

Her funeral took place on 1 Apr 1918. The New York Times wrote:

"An exquisitely carved white coffin containing the body of Madame Despina Davidovitch Storch, the most romantic spy suspect America has yet known, was placed in a vault on the east slope of MOunt Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth, Queens yesterday afternoon. Thus was drawn the curtain on a life which in twenty three years knew more diplomatic intrigue than even the popular fiction spy heroine is given by Oppenheim and others."