The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-28
RUSSIAN SPIES IN LoNDoN,

From London Tid-Bits
London, as might well be expected
comes in for the largest contingent of
spies sent by the Russians government
to any foreign city. This is necessit-
ated both by the vastness of the place
and the number of Russian domiciled
here, especially as among the latter
there are good many in whose move
| ments and doings the Russian author
tiles eyince the greatest possible inter
est.
branch of the Russian secret service
may be compared TO that of the foreign
staff of well-conducted daily news
paper. Just as the latter has its per-
manent, special and casual correspond
ents, so the car is served here by de-
tachment of spies VINO may be classed
under the same heads. The ''perman-
emit and special" spies are regular
servants of the crown, subject to the
rules of service, and in receipt Of fixed
salaries, whereas the casual spy, like
the casual correspondent, is a free
lance" and paid by the job.
The permanent" spy. has. as rule,
his work cut out for him. He gets his
instructions from some official at the
Russian embassy and acts upon them,
according to his light, with more or
less intelligence. He is generally told
off to watch the arrivals at the railway
stations and hotels, to pick up bits OF
information at the various cafes and
restaurants where Russians are wont
to congregate, and to report upon the
movements of persons whose trust
worthiness'' is not above suspicion.
From time to time he may also be in
structed to shadow some particular in
dividual suspected of being in com
munication with the extreme section
of the Russian colony here, or of having
some business in hand, with the exact
nature Of which it might be desirable
to become acquainted.
AT his best, a spy of this category is
but poor creature, lacking both tact
and smartness. His methods are ex
tremely crude, and so utterly devoid of
any artistic touch that, with a little
discernment, one can tell the Russian
spy at a glance. You may meet him
any evening at the Cafe Monico, Cafe
Royal, or in some of the less known
restaurants in the purlies of Soho. He
is also invariably to be found in the
smoking rooms of the larger hotels
patronized by Russian visitors.
The duties of permanent spy are
thus not particularly onerous. He gen.
orally has a pretty snug berth, with
very little or no responsibility attached
to it, and may, with some care and cir
cumspection, look forward to a COM
Portable career. If he be of an inventive
turn of mind he can go in for the more
ambitious walks OF his trade, such as
the connection of plots, etc. There is
is no need for him to fear that his little
game will be found out by his superiors,
for these gentlemen never take the
trouble of verifying any information
supplied by their emissaries, however
strange such information may appear
on the face of it.
! And, beside, the Russian government
is withal so eager to manufacture Nihi-
lists and terrorists that it would never
discourage any manifestation of zeal
on the part of it's agents. The word of
a spy is sacred in the dominions of the
car, and hundreds of innocent men
and women are annually sacrificed to
the Juggernaut of Absolutism on the
bare denunciation of these gentry.
Incidentally it may be mentioned
here that, for political purposes, the
Russian authorities adopt system of
classification that is as simple as it is
striking. Leaving out of consideration
the eighty-six million of peasants (who.
being ignorant and nearly crushed by
the excessive burdens of taxation. are
supposed to possess an inexhaustible
fund of loyalty to the white ear, the
population is divided into classes-the
Trustworthy" and the enthusiastically"
ANY Trustworthy" person reported
as being in communication with an in
dividual of the secondary category is
at once put on the blacklist, and hence
forth classed with the Enthusiastically.