Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-30

LIE Ni.iiE sEisi.t!.
nary times. Norumors OF nihilistic effort
at the coronation have been in circulation,
so far rs the outside world knows, but in.
formation Of that kind does not travel in
Russia the way it does in other countries.
Newspapers are very guarded in what,
they print, for the smallest offense might
land the editors In some filthy dungeon.
CT, worse still, in the mines OF Siberia.
This coronation, to which the nations of
the world will send their ablest men, en-
hancing its splentor and Importance, will
be tho engine of more misfortune and
misery than any happening in Russia in
years. II will swell the Siberian colony to
untold figures and crowd tho thousands of
prisons in the empire with armies Of I'M
happy men and women. Already, the cable
informs Us, the Third section has its drag
net out gathering in suspects on ali sides.
This work will go on day after day, in.
creasiE2 in its scope as the date of the
coronation draws near.
Tho Ircrest shadow of suspicion f ali
that Is Necessary TO land some Door IN
fortunate in prison. Ninc-tenths of these
suspects are rs innocent of tho crimes at
tributed to them citizen in this far
of country. But that makes no difference
II the Russian police arrested guilty poo
pie only, there would be many empty pris-
ons in the cars domain. Innocence
counts for naught when brought face to
face with the Third section.
The Third section Is one of three tiivi-
sions of the Russian police system. The
first division or section is the ordinary
street police force and the second section
is composed Of the rural police. Tho Third
section, whose chief is spoken of in Z wills
per as the ''Whito Terror - is made I'D of
tho dreaded secret police. The organiza-
ton of this force is VOL guarded mys.
terry, and therein lies its vast power. 1t is
under the immediate control of the min
lister of tho interior, and its one particular
business Is to ferret out enemies of the
ear and of the imperial government
Much has been written about the Third
section, but no complete story OF its or
ganization has ever been told Even the
cleyerest and most relied upon detectives
in It's employ do not know the real facts of
the matter. Secrecy and mystery form its
foundation. How many men COMPOSE the
force is unknown. They may number
8 600 and possibly $4,000. The section
includes men placed in every walk of iife
from the humnlcst TO the most powerful
the artisan and the diplomat, tho high
army officer and the common soldier, the
labnror and the society man, the merchant
and the thief. In every big city the world
over are men az the Thir,i4scction. They
arc in New York, in Chicago, in Boston,
Philadelphia and all of the large towns of
the country. They swarm in London.
Paris. Berlin, Vienna, ConstantinopIe and
the >sreat capitals of Europe. The cities of
Asia arc full Of Thorn.
Those in the Russian cities ere on duty
all fha Iin.n Iayv m { - - l-vprx-
another. This is regarded as a great ati-
vantage. An agent could be in the com
pany of nine other agents. and not one in
the group of ten would know that he was
in the presence &; fellow officers Their
Supporters confer with them in secret, and
they never meet ut enc place. 1t is an
everyday occurrence for an agent to turn
In q report accusing another agent of sus-
picinus conduct. The latter l. simply fol-
lowing up some case. and tho other, not
Knowing him TO be "a secret officer, makes
his report. 80 elaborate. 50 complete and
extensive is this organized spy system that
h:tlc goes On thai does not reach the ears
o. some official.
During the coronation festivities at Mos
COW the third section will be concentrated
nj that point. In the great crowds which
flock To the ancient city there will be
thousands of these secret agents. They
VIII DC present at every celebration, big
and little, with the poor and with the rich,
In every hotel, in every church. On the
street. III meeting rooms and clubs, and
woe TO the man, woman or child even who
uttcrs word of protest against the car
or his officers
Tie Third section is hated by the people
Of Russia, and they have made this clear
many times by assassinating the white
Tcyror' in power. In 1878 General Mez-
enzoff was shot dead and year later his
successor barely escaped with his life from
the knife of another assassin. In 1888
General Sudeikin was slain, end in 1890 his
successor, General Seliyerstoff, was shot
dead. Hundreds of men and women have
been sent 30 siberia for plotting against
the lives OF the chief police officials, but
this does not deter others from doing the
"A ma and soot,aP or later ona suocoof3a