The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
THE WHITE TERROR.
CLOUD AT RUssIA's COM
ING CORONATION FESTIVAL.

Third Notwithstanding About
The Machinery of the Most Com
pIete Secret Spy System In the Civ
iIized World.
From the New Orleans Picayune.
On May 26 next, when the young car
Of Russia will go through the wonderful
coronation ceremony in the beautiful cath
edral Of Moscow, his millions of subjects
through the breadth of Asia, and half of
Europe, will join hilariously in the festi-
val At least they will do their best to ap-
pear joyful and happy. but over the vast
carnival, covering millions of square miles.
will hover a dark cloud.
The ghoul of distrust, fear and anxiety
will be abroad that day in proportions of
such magnitude that not one person in the
tens of millions in the empire will fail to
feel it's presence. The mysterious third
section will permeate with its terrible
dread every heart in Russia, and when the
great cathedral bells are Ginning their
glorious music, when bands are playing,
banners flying, in the midst of feasting and
drinking, in the home of the peasant there
will be nothing bright and handsome
enough to hide this monster.
Terrible at all times, it will be doubly
awful on that day, for on great occasions
Of this kind the car feels that he is more
at the mercy of the assassin than in ordi-
nary times. No rumors of nihilIstic effort
at the coronation have been in circulation
so far as the outside world knows, but in
formation Of that kind does not travel in
Russia the way 1t does in other countries.
Newspapers are very guarded in what they
might print, for the smallest offense might
land the editors in some filthy dungeon, or.
worse STILL in the mines of Siberia.
This coronation to which the nations of
the world will send their ablest men, en-
hancing its splendor and importance. will
be the engine Of more misfortune and mis-
cry than any happening in Russia in
yT 3tISi l. VIII swell the Siberian colony to
untold ngureS, and heap the thOusands
VI prisons In the empire with armies of
unhappy men and women. Already the
SLDIe INFORMS US the third section has
- uds net out gathering in suspects
~ al SIDES. This work will 90 on day
J Jater 10y, increasing in its scope as the
Oale OF the coronation nears
Inc merest shadow Of susDicion is all
Ladt Is necessary to land some unfortu-
ndte IN prison. Nine-tenths of these lsus-
RgifCs are as Innocent of the crimes at
uLDuted TO them as a citizen in This far
OF country. But that makes no difference
~ uhe russian police arrested guilty peo-
Pre only there would be many empty pris-
counts for naught when brought face 10
race with the third section.
me thlrd section is one of three di-
SIolohS OF the Russian police system The
uIst division or section is the 0rdinaryr
street police, force the mem bers of which
ebe b IiIlI formed and patrol the streets Of
osher countries They arrest the neftv
onenders, the thieves, thugs. murderers
Fast oi!sa1eklegs in general who always in
iest cities of importance. There is moth
ing unusual about them except their will
55nsness to be bribed on every occasion
Ihey are miSerably paid, in fact the mem
bers of all the three divisions are under
PAD, and as result blackmai bribery
and eNtortion thrive in Russia to an extent
over. HS "Viiu
The second section is made I'D Of the
rural police, the chiefs of which are an
p p3fiilIsT9 by the state and the ordinary
oLlceiS by the different villages These
gre gre tne most racapious wretches on the
lace lace OF the earth, and the way thew grind
STon,i5 ne helpless people in their control
of stone. - . VI d man
The third section, whose chief is snoken
nsd AZ Whisper as the White Terror, is
mdue up or the dreaded secret notice
Inc organization of this force is a we'll
S Sesruea ed. mystery, and therein lies its
cont power w 1t is under the immediate
SSohlrol OF the minister of the interior. and
us one particular business is to ferret
OUT the enemies of the car and Of tbe i'm
perlaI government az III
SecuoI, out no complete story of it's or
Si fellzdt Ion mas ever been told. Even the
ftii 'sVe ana the most relied upon detec-
ives IN lts employ do not know the real
1IdctS OF the matter. Americans who baVa
nEeu IN the principal Russian cities and
a ME nave "a written about it. have only been
99oIe 70 OBTAIN the barest skeleton of tie
knows. % iiiucn as any one
ti6 secrecy Gyu and nd mystery form its founda-
&c in, Tow many men compose the force
Is unknown. They may number < 000 VI go
possI9ly $1,000. The section Includes poap
PPi ,Sy. IN every walk of life from the
san snd 40 10 me me most powerful, the arti-
~ @l anu the diplomat the high army Of
an Sr ana the common soldier, the la6orer
fL lu me society man, the merchant ami
over are roa ~ every pig city the world
9IG IN New York. in Chicago, in Boston
ttbnaiIaueIphia, and all Of the large towns Of
Paris PnrIfy. ,Ihey swarm in London,
~ se great capitals of Europe. The cfties
u ASIA are full of them. '''4e'
nj .iose IN the Russian cities have no ROO
tb i hours Tor reporting for dutv az is
f oe case with members of the detective
~ CS IN the ordinary city They are
iyno uuty all the time. Few of the agents
INV one another. This is reea r1sd q .
great advantage. An agent col1Id he in
ny ne company of nine other agents and
t ma one IN the group Of ten would know
s s@L ne was in the presence of feIlovJ-of
ncers. Their superiors confer win tbe,,
81. 81 secf9t, and they never meet at one
araoe. II IS an every day occurrence for
az agent to turn in a report ACCUSING
iGiiQener agent of suspicious conduct. The
t%lSeI Is simply following UP some case
Sllu the other, not knowing him to he a
oe oIlcer, makes his report So elab-
00nate, complete and extensive is this
fb sdIliized spy system that little goes on
f al uoeS not reach the ears of some Of
eid!, During the coronation Festivities
"e moscow the third section will be con-
oSnLISted at that point In the general
tb5o INV which flock to the ancient city
enere Will be thousands of these secret
si@4lts. they viii be present at every
eTniSSoIatlon. big and little with the poor
c cbu with the rich, in every hotel. in every
e9 en-, on the streets, in meeting rooms
onu ciubs, and woe to the man woman
- cuud even, who utters a word of pro-
A. against the car or his officers
90 re tnlrd section is hated by the peopIe
n, russia, and they have made this clear
My tlmeS by assassinating the white
1o ~ OF IN power. In 1878 Gen. Mezen-
~ was not dead, and a year later his
lessor barely escaped with his life
100 IN - the knife of another assassin. In
40 zen. SudeilSin was slain, and in 1891
Do DC successor, Gen. SeliverstOff. was shot
L teeu- hundreds of men and women have
~ sent to Siberia for plotting against
tbi. Hyes OF the chief police officials. but