Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-04-09

one person in the tens of millions IN
the empire will fail to feel its pres
ence. The mysterious third section will
permeate with it's terrible dread every
heart in Russia, and when the great
cathedral bells are Ginning their glori-
Gus music, when bands are playing,
banners flying, in the midst Of feasting
and drinking, III the home of the
powerful noble and howell of the peas
ant, there will be nothing bright and
handsome enough to hide this monster.
Terrible at all times, it will be dou-
bly, awful on that day, for on great oc-
casions of this kind the car feels that
he is more at the mercy of the assassin
than in ordinary times. No rumors Of
nihilistic effort at the coronation have
been in circulation, so far as the out
de world knows, but information of
cat kind does not travel in Russia the
Ray it does in other countries. News
papers are very guarded in what they
print, for the smallest offense might
land the editors in some filthy dun
geon, or, worse still, in the mines Of
Siberia.
This coronation, to which the nations
of the world will send their ablest men,
enhancing it's splendor and Importance,
Ydll be the engine of more misfortune
lad misery than any happening in
Russia in years. 1t will swell the ST.
berian colony to untold figures, and
heap the thousands of prisons in the
empire with armies of unhappy men
snd women. Already, the cable in
aims us, the Third Section has it's dra g
net out gathering in suspects On all
sides. This work will go on day after
aay, increasing in it's scope as the date
# the coronation nears.
The merest shadow of suspicion is
SIl that is necessary to land some I'M
fortunate in prison. Nine-tenths of
&hese suspects are as innocent of the
crimes attributed to them as citizen
in this far off country. But that makes
no difference. If the Russian police
arrested guilty people only there would
be many empty prisons in the cars
domain. Innocence counts for naught
when brought face to face with the
Third Section.
The Third Section is one CT three di-
visions of the Russian police system.
The first division or section is the Or
binary street police force, the members
Of which are uniformed and patrol the
streets of the big cities just as they do
in this and other countries. They ar
rest the petty offenders, the thieves,
nd hi -,
eral who always infest cities of impor-
lance. There is nothing unusual about
them except their willingness to be
bribed on every occasion. They are
miserably paid; in fact, the members
Of all the three divisions are underpaid,
and as a result blackmail, bribery and
extortion thrive in Russia to an extent
world over.
The Second Section is made up of the
rural police, the chiefs of which are
appointed by the state and the ordi-
nary officers by the different villages. !
These are the most rapacious wretches
IN the face of the earth, and the way
they grind down the helpless people in |
their control would bring tears to the |
eyes Of man Of stone.
The Third Section, whose chief is ,
spoken of in a whisper as the White I
Terror, is made up of the dreaded Sc
cret police. The organization Of this
force is a we'll guarded mystery. and
therein lies its vast power 1t is under
the immediate control of the minister
Of the interior, and its one particular
business is to ferret out enemies of the