New-York tribune., 1896-12-27
FTROPE'S SECRET SERVICE
r-SpERHANDED METHODS EMPLOYED
BY GOVERNMENTS TO OBTAIN
INFORMATION

-eption OF that OF switzerland. finds il necessary
N maintain corps Of secret agents for coniden-
,,sl police duty. Their remuneration being de-
,raved from the Secret Service Fund at the dis
nosai OF every Prime Minister. the National
treasury takes no cognizance of their expenses
or OF their names. These latter are known only
10 the Premier and to the Minister Of the Interior
who receive them along with the balance OF
the annual Secret Service Fund. in strict conf
dence from their predecessors in ofice) and to
one or two OF the permanent heads Of the Depart
r,ent Of the 1nferio. But they are ignored at
the regular police headquarters. while the gene
raj public very often has no knowledge what
.oever OF the existence Of such force. Thus Il
may safely he taken for granted that until the
Parnel trial revealed the role played by Major
lc Caron in this country. the vast majority Of
English people had no conception of the fact that
their Government maintains in the United States
most elaborate system Of spies and secret
agents whose chief object II is to keep a strict
surveillance over what Is going on in Irish cir
ces
Some Of this kind ofwork has occas sionally been
irtrus;ed To the Pinkerto1 and other detective
agencies. But for all the more important mat
,e-s the British Government prefers 10 rely upon
IT'S own agents. who number people in every class
Of lie from gentlemen OF birth and breeding
(some Of them eX-arny officers) who have come
q "cropper." down to men OF the type Of Jones. of
Anlst erdam-aVe.. now returned TO London to tes-
fly in the trial OF Ivory. the New-York saloon
keeper who is held in England on the charge of
heing concerned in a dynamite conspiracy. More
than Of the leading New York clubs has
,er,alned not an angel. but British Government
spy. unawares. without having had any reason
whatsoever TO regret its hospitality. For the
'ex-gentlemen" who undertake duties OF this kind
are usually possessed Of sufficient amount Of
knavery and lack OF principle 10 render them
considerably more interesting companions than
the ordinary everyday respectable British citi-
zen. Besides this their career has generally been
enlivened by adventures Of one kind and another
before they finally were driven for the sake of
living to resort TO the not altogether honorable
calling Of a 'mouchard the expressive word by
which secret police spies are known in France.
The more important Of these secret agents
Of the British Government report directly TO
one OF the heads Of the division Of the Home
Department in London. who has the power TO
invoke. when he considers II necessary. the ser
vices Of the regular detective department But
the inferior agents her. used formerly to re-
ceive their instructions and likewise their sup
plies through a Government official stationed
here in New-Y ork for the purpose, although far
trely different position. He departed few
months ago appointed 10 another and on the
whole more agreeable position in entirely
different part OF the world reward for the
services that he had rendered in this country 10
the Secret Service Bureau Of the Secretary OF
State Of the Home Department in London.
Although English people. as a rule. have the
reputation Of being distinctly inferior 70 the
Russians. the Germans and the Latin races, in
Just those particular qualities which are sup
posed to be most indispensable to a secret ser
vice agent yet they have at least been able
70 succeed in performing their work with
OF publicity, whereas at St Peters
burg al Paris and especially al Berlin un-
savory scandals the result Of bungAng jobs,
are continually occurring and bringing popular
o6um not only on the secret service itself. but
upon the Government and the Executive that
employs It. Volumes upon volumes have been
written about the secret service Of Russia, the
authors in some cases being dismissed agents or
else It's victims. until nothing remains secret
except the identity Of the agents employed In
this however. the mystery has been maintained
10 such a degree that no Russian diplomatic or
consular official will ever commit himself 10
IN opinion about felOw-cOuntryman even II
he is convinced that he is impOstOr and
swindler. for fear lest the man might be some
secret agent Of the -. Petersburg Government
These Russian agents are mostly employed
Tor the purpose Of keeping watch upon the
iolngs Of those OF the Cars subjects who live
-evond the frontiers Of Russia and when it is
-orne in mind that these number close upon
million. and that every Russian has in his blood
ne characteristic Asiatic taste for conspiracy
md intrigue against his Government II VIII
-eadily be understood that the secret agents or
ne Chancellerie of the Emperor have their
1ands very fun indeed. In each country they
sre under the orders OF chief, who provides
mem with money and directions. and who re-
,orts not TO any Government department al
= Petersburg. but. as intimated above. direct
n the Cars Chanccnerie. TIL two years ago |
, was generally understood at Paris that the
hte< ~ This system in France was VI. CatacaZy. !
/, one time Muscovite Envoy 10 the United |
states. while since his dca.h. the duties are |
believed TO have been intrusted 70 the Marquis |
= Canro SagradO who married d half-sster OF
queen Isabella and spent the major portion OF |
is life as Spanish Envoy AT St petersburg |
Whence he was however. compel ed 70 depart III
hurry and without presenting his letters oi
ecau. in consequence Of financial difficulties.
In France this branch Of Government service
ras o, ito hast or rather most elaborate dur
ag the reign OF the late Emperor Napoleon II
,ubraced people in every walk in life, from
'orsican serni-bandits who thought nothihe OF
lunging knife into the back Of any one WHO
her interfered with their work or VINO con-
.iiuied danger 20 their imperial empower up
o mobiles bearing the most ilustrlous names IL
rance but who had been reduced by hhahe'a'
iriculties due to their exiraVagance' 10 enter
ne pay of ia Police Secretc.
The Corsican Grisceli. whom ] last heard OF
D un,son with an associate Of the name of 1su-
,i,i is l,o,,n 10 have a. least five knihngs 10 /
is record Thus. when Count Camerata. /
ousin Of NapoIeon III. was assassinated In the
'uuAries under circumstances which would
q, h.o, qualification 10 the world G;iscell dis