, 1885-06-04
THE RUSSIAN POLICE.
THEIR system Of SEARCHING The
HOUSES OF SUSPECTS.
Nisht-Tims Observation-Disclosures w.
fectsd by strategy or Foroe-S" ciri-
zen Secure Reason. for the
Zeat OF the Police.


LL L.| .L"" ..|L ...|
fwlnlnln we~tslii IN stn Francisco chroniri-
from time immemorial Russian police
searches rave been made by night deeds
of this sort loving darkness rather than
lirht. hut II would be wrong 10 lnger
thercfrom that hussian families enjoy alb
snluic immunity from these unwelcome
visitations during the day. The police
often make searches in thed daytime, when
they are least expected. when people are
the least prepared 10 receive. and. posi-
bly,. TO deceive Them They like TO take
their victims by surprise. and they know
that n man whom they want generally
leaves his friend house towards mid
night and repairs 10 some und~iscoyerable
hiding place A secret meeting will
adjourn rather than continue its de.
alterations until a late and therefore
dangerous hour. So the police. by ap.
pearing Unexpectedly. may make rich
prizes. aud they do not restrict their visits
10 any particular time. On the other
hand. there are good reasons why they
should make them mostly at night In
the first place nocturnal searches cause less
scandal than daylight visits. All that the
neighbors know neat morning is that
somebody has disappeared. At l or 2 q.
m, moreover. the police are pretty sure
to find people at home and TO take them
more or less by surprise Hence the
watches Of he NIGH. when, in other
countries. the sanctity of the home en-.
Joys the special protection of the law, is.
Of all others, the time when the subjects
Of the car enjoy the least security and
are exposed to the gravest perils-
During the periods Of white terror, =
which generally follow attempts made
against the authorities or detected plots.
when searches by the hundred are made
right and left. there is hardly a family be-
longing to the educated classes who, on
retiring TO rest, do not tremble at the
thought that before morning they may be
reused from their sleep by the despot's
emissaries. At one of these periods (aftei
the Solovieff affair, the ordinary Jail be-
ing SO crowded with prisoners seriously
compromised that there was no room fol
the many persons who were merely sus
pected, without a shadow OF evidence,
the latter had to be confined in the com
mon room Of Iitoysky castle. They
lived together and were rather gay. as Il
always the case when prisoners meet
and they can talk openly and freely.
Before going TO bed. as one who wal
there has told me. they would say to eacf
otler. "Ah. we shall sleep soundly to
night. for here we are in safety. A grin
pleasantly. Of which none but those who
have lived under the cars can understand
the full Significance.
Decciving people by a falsehood or {
strategem In order to make them open O
door without mistrust is a common pro
cceding Of the Russian police. When they
wanted to arrest Donluovkin. an oil Gel
quariered in a suburb of ST. Petersburg.
they caused the chief of his battalion &c
say that he lad an important communica
ton TO mako 10 him on the business OF The
---E.- fTI.. salItaa 81 IN1.a~.- 1.-t-s..
on one occasion 10 make an arrest, raised
a cry Of ~frelr at the door of their vic
tim. who. rushing out in all haste. only
half clad. fell mo their hands and WI
carried off without ceremony.
ut when searches are so frequent tina
everybody expects them, the police, as {
rule, reserve their articles for special cases
/ OF as an engineer may be hoisted with hi
own petard, so may an ~artifice be turned
against its contri ers. That of a Telegram
brought by n dvornik in the lead of nigh
is becoming somewhat stale, and when AZ
alarm Of ire or other calamity is giver
you scent a great deal greater danger ant
s~traightway burn your papers and other
wise prepare yourself for an imminent pc
lice visitation. Your arrangements com
pleted you open the door and play Thu
part of an ingenious innocent The policl
can not well punish you for not making
haste to receive a a%pocryphal dispatch o
escape an imaginary fire. Knowing this
they mostly prefer TO knock loud enough
to awaken the dead. crying mt the SAINT
time. THE police, the police, OIen thl
door, or we will break II in
Nor is the threat q vain one. The lus
sian police make no scruple about house
breaking. an art in which they are as nc
complished as professional burglars. They
| aAen.ffnaa haUfp in fhfa NAV xuhan tIat
can do so without making a noise. Al
the seizure Of the c'andestine printing
oil &C Of The Tcherney Perdid the gend
armes. either by lifting the doors from
their hinges. as the Official report said. o.
by using skeleton keys. as ran the rumor
took the inmates by surprise and arrested
all rs they lay in bed. iolence and bru
tality were always in russia the con
comitants Of domiciliary searches and ar
rests. and with the increase of severity il
the treatment of political criminals gener
ally, the violence has become greater anC
the brutality more ruthless
Whit causes, ir may be asked, are helC
sufficient TO justify The defenders of ordeI
In making these nocturnal v~isitations anC
troubling so cruelty the repose Of peace
full citizensl The question Is one that oc
ours naturally TO an American. but IL pu0
10 a RUSSIAN he would merely shrug hi
shoulders and smile at the simplicity o.
the observation. ~Could anything b,
moro absurdlr he would probably ex
claim. for in Russia 1t is a question Of the
zeal OF the police. never Of the rights o.
tho subject Russia is in q condition O.
internal warfare. and the police
being the right arm of one Of thI
belligerent parties. does not protect,
fights Wherever the enemy is they
must be ready TO attack him; any place
where he is supposed to he they must be
set An officer of police who hesitates I,
make a search without formal authority
or make an arrest without a warrant
would be looked upon us not worth hi
salt an idler who wanted to receive ia
pay without giving anything IN return. 4
member Of the force who desires 10 vii
promotion. or even TO keep his place. can
not aiiord TO be scru ulous Tic must b
as keen. rs vigilant. and rs ready us
sleuth-hound ON the guest Al the .eas
sign, or the merest suspicion OF u scent
he must join in the chase and seize III
quarry when he can.