Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-11-26
KUSSIA'S POLICE SYSTEM.
Perfection of the Secret Service Organi
zation Described by KEENAN,.

cation Described by KEENAN,.
"The Russian secret service police system
Is very complete and far reaching orgaDi-
cation" said Ir. George KEENAN,, in re-
spouse to a query from reporter, land III
an instance Of how thoroughly the govern
ment through this system is able to keep
track of ones movements may well relate
an experience Of my own. When returned
to St. Petersburg from Siberia the last
time | was very anxious to leave the EN-
pire as soon us possible, for several reasons
Ny travelling companion Mr.. Frost, was
physically broken down, and feared might
collapse at any time. | was far from well
myself and onged TO escape from the at
mosphere Of apprehension in which had
lived 80 long, and Of course very anxious
to see my wife who was awaiting Inc in
London.
$50 sent my passports to the chief of
the department Of police and asked permits
sion to leave the empire at once, this being
n necessary step before one can leave Rus
STA. In a short time | received a curt YER
| bal reply to the effect that couldn't leave
the empire until had received the permis-
sion of the governor general of eastern
Siberia. This annoyed me II great deal, as
| knew very well that | couldn't obtain
such permission from the governor general
J
away, under three months and perhaps as
long again, so called at the American le-
cation and placed the matter before the
secretary of the legation, Mr.. Writ
Minister Lothrop at that time hap
pened to he absent, and MIR Wirtz gave
/ me "A letter to the chief of the passport
/ bureau in the foreign Office. | delivered
the note in person to the chief of the pass
port bureau, who was an Italian. He read
/ it through, carefully looked me over and
then remarked you are Mr.. Remnant? L
/ informed him chat | was. when he in
quired if had ever before had a permit to
live in the Russian empire? | told him
that had, in 1865, issued in March of that
year, believed.
"IIe Immediately touched bell and di-
rected "A clerk who responded TO find per-
init to live in Russia issued TO George
KEENAN, in March, 1865. In three minutes
the clerk returned and handed to his chief
the identical permitthat | had surrendered
when | was ready to leave the empire
twenty years before, and with it was list
of about forty questions concerning myself,
which had answered at that time, show
ing what my objects were in visiting Rus
sia where | came from, and, in short, ak
about myself.
"rhe chief scanned these documents ana
then informed me that if the American lc-
cation would send Il letter to him. officially
requesting permission for me to leave the
empire the request would be granted. Mr..
Writ wrote Il letter officially requesting
the permission desired. l went from one
circumlocution office to another, paid
money to this official and that, and finally
at the end of four days was given the per-
mission of leaving he country. How they
-l,,,,.
they are able almost instantly to turn to
the record of any one who has lived in the
empire, when one considers the infinite
number of such records they are obliged to
keep, is a mystery to me- one that | can't
explain, but it only goes to show what a
marvellous institution it is.
There are in the Russian secret service
police that are exceedingly bright, clever
men, sinCularly udroit and crafty in OBJ
tanning valuable clews and information,
and revolutoui~ts with whom | talked
agreed that Lieutenant Colonel Sudeikin,
of the gcndarmes, afterward assassinated,
was one of the ablest men III that line in
the service OF the Russian government.
There is one class OF secret service Of
ncers who are entirely unknown, who ale
in fact simply government spies, and you
are liable Of course to meet one of them
at any time. Several times | have thought
that | was being interviewed by one OF
those spies, and when man would seek
my acquaintance while travelling, and en-
deavor to draw me out by professions of
revolutionary sympathies, and remarks as
being an American, Mr.. KEENAN,, you
certainly know everything is wrong here,
would observe great discretion and be
very guarded in what | sad."-Detroit
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