The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-09
THE STORY OF A SPY.
jacobson, Once Russia's Secret Agent in
Bulgaria, Dead in Obscurity.

(Vienna Cor. of London S5andard.)
M. jacobson, the notorious Russian
agent and agitator, died this morning in
Budapest hospital, lonely and forsaken,
after ten days illness. His name will
be familiar to every newspaper reader in
Europe as the author of the famous COM
pilation of secret documents in reference
to Russian plots in Bulgaria, and as for
tine the right hand man OF Stambuloff,
and the assistant and confldant of NJ.
Hitroyo, the Russian agent at Buch
Arrest. His origin was of the otscnrest.
According to the Russians. his name was
Noises Abramoyitch, and his family is
still to be found among the Jews of
Southern Russia. But when he first Oh
tained employment as clerk in the
Russian Consulate in Sofia, under Con-
sui General Hitrovo he called himself
Michael Ivanovitch jacobson, and, it is
believed. WAS convert to the Orthodox
faith. He very soon acquired such an
intimate knowledge of men aud things
in Bulgaria that N. Hitrovo, who knew
well how to choose his instruments, by
degrees took him into his confidence, and
made his reports and observations the
basis of his own communications to the
Asiatic Department in ST. Petersb urg.
jacobson was SO versatile. SO modest,
ard, at the same time, so honest in mon
ey matters, that when M. Hitrovo had to
leave Bulgaria and was promoted to the
rank of Minister in Bucharest, while the
centre OF the Russian agitation was
transferred to Rustchuk, the services
there Of man like jacobson were con-
sidered Indispensable, and he was accord
ingly appointed to the official post of
Dragoman to the Rustchuk Consulate
He was privy, from distance, to the
Grueff- Bendereff plot to kldnap Pri nee
Alexander, and continued his services till
after the failure of General Kaul5ar's
Mission.
On the withdrawal OF all the Russian
Consulates from Bulgaria, he was Pc
titioned for by his former chief, NJ
Hitrov, and made dragoman of the lega-
ton in Bucharest. Here he was required
to act as secret Intermediary between
the Bulgarian refugees in Rumnnia and
Russia and their fellow conspirators at
home, and to distribute subsidies among
them. 1t has been proved beyond all
question that he helped to organize the
plots against the life of M. Stainbuloff,
and later against Prince Ferdinand, and
assisted in the smu ggling of arms and
ammunition, including dynamite. into
Bulgaria. In word, he took upon him
self the dirtiest work of the Russian prop
uganda, the funds for which were placed
at the disposal OF N. Hitroyo, and so
useful were his services considered that
the Asiatic department, as we'll as the
Slavonio Benevolent Society, entered in
to direct correspondence with him.
He was at one time within On ace of
receiving Russian donors and distino-
tions, the appointment to q representa-
tive post i'll the East having disti nctly
been promised to him. But. unfortunate
ly for his prospects, he quarrelled with
NJ. Hitrovo over the subsidies to the ref
ugees and the money sent from st. Pet
ersburg, of which, be asserted, consid-
cradle portion found Its way into his
chiefs pockets, while he himself was
to render detailed account.
The quarrel lasted long enough to give
him time to prepare for his ultimate dis
missal. His preparations consisted in
taking copies of documents in tie