The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-01
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS

named Hessen who lived down in the
southern part Of the state said one Of
a group of story tellers at the Cope
land. 1.-THE old man, and he was not so
old, either. probably close to co. came to
this country about twenty years ago and
purchased a lot Of land in the flint hills.
Most Of the land was good for nothing
but grazing, and some of it was not good
for even that, but it was a long distance
from any habitation and that was evil
IDENTIFY just what he wanted or he would
have purchased bottom land nearer some
town. He built q comfortable house
and outnOuses and cultivated a. part OF
the land Strange to say the land he
cultivated was fruitful probably because
he knew how to cultivate it and what to
plant. He made a speciality of grapes
and believe never ate finer grapes
than ne raised. He made a lot Of wine
and it was the very best quality Of table
Wine-far ahead of the best California
or French claret. He had no trouble
in disposing Of the wine, even If he was
in a prohibition state, and it was said
that all the churches in that section OF
the country got their communion VINE
from him. He was a Russian and II
was evident that he belonged to the
upper class, for he was not only re-
fined looking man, but he was highly
educated and spoke the English language
with a very slight accent. He made
many acouairtances. but it was sell
dom that any one was invited to go
through his house or stay there over
night. However those who DID become
friendly and were asked to be his guests
were treated royalty They said that ms
library, although not large, was one OF
the best they had ever seen. 1t showed
that the man was a great student ana
that he understood several languages.
He never told any one why he came TO
this country nor did he tell from whence
he came, and, of course, there were any
number of stories affOat as to who and
what he was and why he had left his
native land. It was obvious tnat ne
was not in need of money and that his
purpose was not to make a nome, Tor all
he did in the agricultural or hOrticul-
tural lire was done for paStIne- The
favorite story was that he was noble
man who had been banished TO Siberia
and had made his escape from thal
place. The story was nearer correct than
any Of the others, most of which con-
nected him in some highly dramatic
manner with the nihilists- About ten
years ago several Russians who were OF
the nobility visited him, and shortly
after that the place was sold ana Hes
sen left and no one knew where ne had
gone Not long ago I met man IN
Chicago who had known I1essen when
he lived in Kansas, and he told me
something concerning Hessen.s death
and who he really was. he had gone 70
Chicago from Kansas, and had lived
there several years, when he was killed
in an accident on street car. 1t ae-
veloped before he died in the hOSplta1
where he had been taken after the ac-
cidert that he was a Russian noble
man and that his family was OF hlgn
rank and wealthy He was suspected q
being in with the nihilists and had got
a tin in some way which gave MIN an
onDorttnfty to escape. His family sup
Piled him with money and ne came 10
Kansas in order to avoid any suspicion
that he was associaung with the AIneF-
lean branch of the nihilists. as he knew
he would be followed and watched lie
had gone to Chicago to act as agent Tor
some Russian business firm don't
recall his name, but II ended IN OH III
true Russian style.
IT was talking with a few officers in
Chicago on my last trip east, sald =
gentleman who had time to speak OF |
Something besides politics, and during |
their conversation the subject OF sweat
ing prisoners came up was anxious |
to learn something of the method puf- |
s11ed bv the officers in HorTning confess I
sions from criminals and, OF course, ask |
ed how it was done. / was informed |
that there were no rules LAID down, pu- I
that the officer simply learned by con /
stantlv coming in contact with the bad I
element how best to handle them IN or
der to get the information desired In |
the first place the officer must be q good +
Judge of human nature and must have I
an intimate knowledge or crooks anu I
their work. A successful method with I
one prisoner might be dismal failure
with the next. Brute force applies IN /
some cases and in others an appeal to /
their better nature is all that is neces-
sary When the person being sWeated is |
a hardened criminal there is very little /
hope OF getting anything. but with an |
experienced sweater at work only those |
who have been through the process sew
eral times will be able to keep from re-
yealing the truth. The OfncerS IN the /
cities have a very effective method of /
getting information from men who are
habituaI users of morphine, cocaine or
whisky, and almost every crook is adj I
dicted to the use of one of the three If I
the man to be sweated is a morphine I
fend he Is taken into the officers room i
and is pumped and talked to and every /
effort is made to get the desired infor
nation A few minutes in the sweat box
will make any one nervous, but just
think how it would effect a habitual |
morphine user. When he gets thor /
oughlv worked up morphine and a by
podermic syringe for its injection are
placed on the table close to the prisoner
and after a few more questions, he is
told that he can take a shot providing
he will tell what he knows This has
been known to fail but seldom 1t makes
very little difference how serious the
penalty may be, the f1end cannot with
stand the temptation and Will give up
anything for dose of his beloved drug.
The method seems almost heathenish-
it is like placing a price on a mans soul,
but it brings the desired result and that /
is all the officer is after. Cocaine fiends
are treated the same as the morphine
users. In the case of whisky users the
bottle is set near with the cork out in
nostrils of the prisoner and tempt him to
turn traitor to his confederates or re-
veal his own crime. The officers with
whom J was talking say that they very
seldom fail in getting information under
these circumstances and I can readily
understand why they should be success
full. 1t is worse than putting food be-
fore a starving man and binding him SO
he cannot touch 1T. or leading a man
who is perishing with thirst by the side
of a fountain. Neither hunger nor thirst
will torture a man as viii the desire
for drugs and whisky. I don't believe I
would have the heart to take part in the
inquisition-''
1.-THE doctors and scientists are hav-