The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-17

had been put in the kitchen. Finally,
overcome with intense suffering, he fell
back upon the foot of his bed like an
inert mass. A little later, when his sis
ter arrived to relieve him and bestow'
upon him the necessary cares, the Off
GERS did not leave her alone with the
sick man, but remained continually in
the chamber, so provoking him in his.
agony that, collecting what remnants of
strength were left him, he siezed an
alarm clock, which lay upon the table at
his bedside, to throw it at the heads of
the officers who poked their noses in his
doorway, Exhausted by this effort, his
weak arm fell and he sank into the arms
of Madame Kropotkine.
All this was going on on the ground
floor, while the attorney and number
of others were searching Kropotkines
study on the floor above. But though
they searched long time, they evil
IDENTIFY did not find what they expected.
They siezed, nevertheless, some unfn-
ished manuscript, among them the pre-
face of work on anarchy. Then they
found some English letters concerning
Kropotkine's scientific and literary
labors for English publications. But
these letters, as we'll as those of his wife
Gin Russian), they did not touch. Next
they siezed two letters-one from &C.
neva and the other from Paris-ot abso-
lutely no Importance.
But the piece de resistance, the pearl
of their discoveries, was two other let
ters-one from London, in which the
writer claimed to be the bearer of hun
dreds of thousands Of francs for Kropot-
kline, which be would deliver to the
Russian revolutionist if the latter would
meet him in London; the other of
similar nature, from a man IN Switzer-
land. On both of them Kropotkine had
written, The work of international po-
lice spies" Of such letters he receives
dozens every month. Further than this
the plunderers got no booty, and depart
ed at a late hour.
The excitement proved fatal to the
unfortunate consumptive, who expired
few days later in the arms of his sister
and his brother-in-law. The day after
his death, while Kropotkine was caring
for his suffering and distracted wife, and
while doctor whom he had called was
at her bedside, the house was surround
ed by the police and the commissioner,
girt with his scarf, presented himself
upon the ground floor, in the room ad-
joining that where lay the corpse, and
asked for Kropotkine. The latter hay
ing been called the commissioner read to
him a warrant for his arrest issued by
the examining magistrate at Lyons, and
told him at the close that he might have
a few hours in which to prepare for his
departure. Kropotkine then, opening
the door of the next Ioom, showed him
the body of his brother-in-law, and, tell
ing him that his wife had had a fainting
fit, and that new and sudden emotion
might endanger her life, asked a delay
of two days in which to assure himself
of his Wife's health and break to her the
news of his arrest less brutally, the
house in the meantime to be guarded by
the police. The commissioner and his
men, who, old soldiers Of the empire,
were by no means tender hearted, re-
coiled at the picture that confronted
them and, perceiving, in spite of their
thick skins, the utter ignominy of an
arrest made at such time, did not wish
to take on themselves the responsibility
of such an act. The commissioner then
ordered one of his men to report the stu
alton to the district attorney with Kro-
potkine's request, the latter giving his
word of honor to appear two days later
before the examining magistrate Lyons,
or, if his word should not be accepted,
then in the custody of the police. The
doctor entering at this moment, the
commissioner took occasion to ask him
if what Kropotkine had said concerning
the health of his wife was correct and
the doctor confirmed Kropotkine.
After wait of fifteen minutes the
officer returned with the attorneys an
swer. The latter, he said, had tele-
graphed, back to Lyons the request of
Kropotkine and had just received the
reply. The magistrate allowed Kropot-
kline a few hours in which to prepare for