Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-03-09

E THE BLACK TERROR )
. Il Romance of Russia. 4
- Dy JOHN X. LEYs. *
% *
1 o 0 onon 0 ]

Dy JOHN X. LEYs.

you. ] repeat, what possible interest
could ! take ia the business tsst a pri-
waite and personal ones ! do not mind
confeSslng 10 you that L am a poor
man. and the loss Of nay engagement
through the abduction Of the Prince
was q severe blow 10 me. Ten thou
sand pounds was 20 ne a large SUI
aud ! conceived that | would be help
ing the cause OF civilization and good
government"
What on earth is the man talking
ab0utg Ii is true that | sent instruc-
lions 10 England 10 the effect that as
much as ten thousand pounds-or al
NEST any sum-would be paid for
irusiy Information as TO the fate Of the
victims. OF the Terror. But that was
long before you went back. never in
structed any one TO deal with you"
Then | have been grossly deceived!'
j said. botly. The man offered me.
first, N Thousand pounds, and 4
laughed at him. i value my life ar a
higher rate than that. Then he gradu-
ally raised the terms TO ten thousand
pounds. Do you dlsown these ransae-
tons Do you mean that | am not to
get the moueyg'
What proof have you OF all thisy'
asked the officer. larshly.
Davis CAV me a memorandum CT
the terms al the time" l said. as calm
ly as | could. Il would not stir a step
without il. unless he put IL in black
and white. If i am not mistaken. you
viii lind the note in the ~pocketbook
they took from me when / was arrest
ed"
The pocketboek was sent for. The
note was found. and the chief Of police
read 1t through carefully more than
o4lce.
There is no engagement Oh your
part here" he said, frowning.
There was no need for my putting
an engagement in writing. for il was
understood that the money was only TO
be paid If | succeeded in getting the in
formation. If | learned nothing | was
to gain nothing
Aud nov / IA about to play a bid
stroke-one that must either gain NE
credit In he Noillef ) eyes or discredit
me altogether. As the chief sat With
his head on his hand. still studying the
mpmoraadam Davis had given me, 1
continued.
lit j. a very easy matter TO test the
truth Of my story. Why not telegraph
To the Russian Embassy in London.
and ask them whether they did not en-
cage a man named Davis, and give
him authority 20 offer as much as ten
thousand pounds for certain inforIna-
tipn: and whether Davis did not re-
port that he had given me a memoran-
dun promising 10 pay that amount for
tie information rendered.
WAS well aware that this was n
dangerous suggestion. II the reply tel
egIam from England contained any ac-
count Of my behavior ar BaileysTidge.
II would be all mp with me. But there
were several chances against this. In
the first place. the trick had played
on Davis did not exactly rebound 10 his
credit. IL was more than likely that
he had said nothing about il at the
time. and if so. he would certainly o
sneak Of il now. else IL would be plain
that he had made a garbled report in
the first instance. Besides. even III the
secrptzry To the Russian ambassador
knew all the facts. it did not follow
thai he would recount them In an an
Swer 10 a telegram demanding instant
Information only ON soilie specific
points. And. thirdly. even IL the fele-
gram said that | had given Davis the
Zip. or acted in a suspicious way. II
would support me on the main point OF
the genusnenesS OF the memorandum:
and / might be able 10 laugh of the in
ealert 1T Baileybridge. OF explain that
ii was necessary 10 get rid of the de-
fectiye II / were to do any good. As |
exuqcted. NJ De Noilleff adopted my
suggestion. He said he would send a
telegram to London. and that | would
DO detained in custody until the reply
came.