The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-08-30
CAPTAIN NIK0LIN.
= CRAFTY OFFICER OF GEN
BARNES IN SIBERIA.
His Interview With Mr.. KEENAN,, the
ACeHtury" Commissioners, Who
Was Investigating the Mines
An Amusing Episode.

mines Of Kara in Siberia. Considerable
diplomacy was necessary, and Mr.. Ken
nan relates an amusing episode with an
officer of gendarmes, with whom he
sought acquaintance in order to further
his purpose.
il was Necessary to allow the officer to
tel5 him al he wished, and 20 seem to be-
Aieye his stories. l received all these
--feYelations, says Mr.. KEENAN,, with
pleased surprise, and became almost en-
thusiastic when the humane and philan-
ths7pic gendarme officer drew for me a
charming picture OF happy state crimi-
mails, living coatentcdIy together in large
airy rooms, Studying English literature in
? sFeil-sppointcd library, reading Punch
Afssr dinner for relaxation, publishing
newspaper once a week for self.improve-
He1t, and getting up a theatrical enter
a daent IN a kamera now and then as a
faE.ty valve for their exubeient spirits
] Fss grieyed and shocked, however, to
tisTn, moment later, that these we'll
SEATED convicts were not worthy of the
gracious clemency shown 10 them by
bsaovolent Paternal government, and re
pgza its kindness with the blacklist
tresehery and ingratitude.
You have no idea, Mr.. KEENAN,.
kais Captain Nikolin, show unscrupalous
thsy are, and how much criminal skin
tesg show in eonesaling forbidden things,
and in smuggling letters in and out Of
prison. Suppose that you were going TO
search political convict as thoroughly as
possible, how would you do itln
Ireplied that should strip him naked
and make a careful examination of his
clothing.
IN that all you would DOR he IN
4 luired, with q surprised air.
I said that no other course Of procedure |
suggested itself TO me Just at that mo
ment.
s'Would you look in his earsl"
"No,n answered; Il should net
think Of looking in his ears."
"Would you search his mouthi7
Again lreplied IL the negative.
Would you look in a hollow foothln
! ! solemBly declared that such thing
as looking IN hollow tooth FOR a letter
would never, under any circumstances,
have occurred to me.
''Wen, - he said, triumphantlv, u have
taken tissue paper with writing on it out
Of prisoners ear, out Of prisoners
mouth. and once found dose OF deadly
poison concealed under a Gaping Of wax
in a convict's hollow tooth. Ah-h-hln
he exclaimed, rubbing his hands, "fhev
are very sly, but know all their tricks. y
A cold SILVER ran down my back as I
Suddenly thought Of the things that lay
hidden in my oTercoat. Between the
cloth and the lining were two Chinese
rs cups, hand mirror, and a small red
ieatner buster, which bad been intrusted
. me py an exiled lad y IN a village near
lrkutsk, and which / had promised IN
denver 70 Miss Armfeld lone Of +bo
political prisoners, with assurances If
the ocn0rs remembrance and love
had left the OFerc0at hanging in tbp /,
hal, ana 4 this gendarme officer was so
extremely suspicious as to look IN ears
fer letters and IN hollow teeth for
poison, perhaps he had already ordered
one o. his zbordinates to make an ex- =
aminstion df it. How I should explain =
the presence between the cloth and the y
lining q sdch unusual articles Of equip r
ns1f Is Two porcelain iea-cups, a hand i,
minor, AID red feather buster, I did s
nqt kassHz lnigli ~ lifsz aaaIgaans J;
arc additionally sensitiFt With IL
gard to their personal appearance, and
that, when making calls, they always
carry looking glasses IN the tail pockets
Of their oliercoais, In order that they NAV
properly adjust their neckfies before
entering the drawing-rooms Of their ac-
quaintanees, but how should I account
for the tea-cups and the long-handled
feather duzterl I might as well try 10
explain the presence OF mouse trap and
q ffe.extingdisher IN a diTing-belll
For twenty minutes I sat there in an
uncomfortable frame Of mind, half ex-
pecting every time the door opened that
Cossaelr would enter with the red
feather dustcT IN his hand. The appre-
headed catastrophe, however, did not oc-
cur, and Nikoiin continued to pour out
information concerning the political con-
victs and their life AZ the mines. Much
that be said was tine; but the truth was
50 iritrEoFsn with Misrepresentation
shat # J lad been the ignorant and credu-
lous tourist hesupposed me 10 be I should
haze been completely deceived. To an
on-lookes who understood the situation
and COLD see iEso both hands. the game
that we were playing would have been
f14 d Interest. by acduaintance with
TIE political prison was almost as accurate
and thorough as that Of Captain Nikolin
himself. had q carefully drawn plan Of
i II belt aroun5 by body; I had a list
containing tie names Of al the prisoners;
could have described 10 him the ap-
pearanoe and the situation Of every OBJ I
jet in every eel; 7 knew exactly what
the couTicts had 70 eat and wear aud now
they spent their time; I knew that four
Of them had been chained to wheel
bsrroNs and that several were insane;
and 7 could hare given him detailed /
history Of the prison for the i've pre-
oeding years With all this information
in my mind, with letter Of introduction
20 the political noHYicts IN my pocket,
and with presents for them concealed IN
- NNIA IlAAr -la-A ~ pa Al4GlE AlA AlolEl
c0elig 70 statements that 1 knew to be
false, assume feelings that I did not
here; and play, without the culver Of an
syelssh, the part Of q good-hunored, {
ered1sous, sasy-going tourist who had
nothing 70 conceal. who was incapable Of
keeping to himself even the details ofbis {
own private life, and who was naturally
surprised and delighted to find that the
political oenviets, instead Of being
chained to wheelbar-ows in damp sub I
teTranean mines, were really treated with
humanity, consideration and benevolent ]
kindness, 5y an intelligent and phiIan- !
thropie eoamsndant.
do not know what impression 7 made /
upon Captain Nikolin in the course of
our long interview; bat / have come rea-
son 70 believe that / succeeded IN blind ,
ing aud misleading one Of the most I
adroit and INSCRIPTIONS gendarnIe Off
,ers in all Eastern Siberia. / may be a.
greatly mistaken; but If be fiatters him /
self that he deceived me he is at least as
much mistaken Is 7 am. l cannot, Of
course. defend my dealings with this or