Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-15
RUssIA's SPY JACOBSON.
The Death of n Notorious Characte
In Obscurity After a Strange Career

The Death of n Notorious Character
In Obscurfty After Strange Career.
From the London Standard
NJ. Jacobson the notorious Russian agent
and agitator, died this morning in Buda-
pest hospital, lonely and forsaken, after a
ten days illness. His name will be familiar
to every newspaper in Europe as the author
Of the famous compila ton of secret docu-
ments in reference to Russian plots in Bull
garia, and was for time the right-hand
man of Stambuloff, and formerly the as
sistant and confidant of NJ. Hitrovo, the
Russian agent at Bucharest. His origin was
of the obscurest. According to the Russians
his name was Noises Abramovitch, and his
family is still to be found among the Jews
Of southern Russia. But when he first OBJ
tanned employment as clerk in the Rus
sian consulate in Sofia, under Consul Gen
eral Hitrovo, he called himself Michael
Ivanovitch Jacobson, and, it Is believed was
a convert to the orthodox faith He very
soon acquired such an intimate knowledge
Of men and things in Bulgaria that NJ
Hitrovo who knew we'll how to choose his
instruments, by degrees took him into his
confidence and made his reports and obser-
vations the basis of his own communications
to the Asiatic department in st. Petersburg
Jacobson was SO versatile, SO modest, and
at the some time 50 honest in money mat
ters that when NJ. Hitrovo had to leave Bull
lister in Bucharest, while the center of Rus
sian agitation was transferred to Rustchuk
the services there of a man like jacobson
were considered Indispensable and he was
accordingly appointed to the official post of
dragoman to the Rustchuk consulate He
was privy, from distance, to the Grl1ef3-
Bendereff plot to kidnap Prince Alexander
and continued his services until after the
failure of Gen. Kaulbars mission
On the withdrawal of all the Russian con-
sulates from Bulgaria, he was petitioned
for by his former chief, M. Hitrovo. and
made dragonman of the legation in Buch-
Arrest Here he was required to act as
secret intermediary between the Bulgarian
refugees in Roumania and Russia and
their fellow conspirators at home and to
distribute subsidies among them II has
been proved beyond all question that he
helped to organize the plots against the
life of M. Stambuloff, and later against
Prince Ferdinand and assisted in the SNUG
Cling of arms and ammunition. Including
dynamite, into Bulgaria. In a word he
took upon himself the dirtiest work of the
Russian propaganda, the funls for which
were placed at the disposal Of NJ Hitrovo
and SO useful were his services considered
that the Asiatic department., as well as the
Slavonic Benevolent Society, entered into
direct correspondence with him.
He was at one time within an ace Of re-
ceiving Russian honors and distinctions
the appointment to a representative post in
the east having distinctly been promised to
him. But, unfortunately for mis- prospects,
ne Quarreled with M. H1troro over the sub
sides to the refugees andi the money sent
from st. Petersburg, of which, he asserted,
considerable portion found its way into
his chiefs pockets, while he himself was
expected to render detailed account. The
quarrel lasted long enoughs to give him
time to prepare for his ultima te dismissal.
His preparations consisted in taking copies
Of documents in the archives of the lega-
ton-in some cases only hasty copies, which
accounted for the errors In dates and
names that were afterward singled out in
Russian reply to his book But If not all
at least 80 per cent of the go documents
he subsequently published were gent inc,
and they told q tale of Russian methods of
agitation at that time which deservedly
brought that power into contempt
With a number of original documents
which he purlofned, and with copies of the
rest, Jacobson left Roumania for London,
where he made offers to a publisher that
were declined. Thence he went to Vienna
ana belgrade, and finally to Sofia, where,
In M. Stambuloff, he found the man who
could appreciate him and his manuscripts
at their true value. The first six of his
papers were published by the Svoboda, and
msde sensation throughout Europe be
fore the remainder were put together In
book form and published in BULGARIAN and
French. He was promised 10000 francs by
the editor of the Svoboda--that is to saw.
by Stambnlon-but actually never received
mere than about 5000 francs, being com
pensated with a small post under the Bull
gnrian government. His real position. how
ever, was that Of a government spy, whose