The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-08-07
RUSSlA'S SECRET SERVICE.
some Outcroppings Of Its Presence in This
Country in Past Years.

| From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
THE Russian secret police have always
been popular stock characters in senSa-
| tional novels" said man who generally
| knows what he is talking about, but, of
course, the average reader has his private
doubts about such people really existing
That, let me inform you. is where the
average reader is mistaken. During the
reign of the present Gar things have
been pretty quiet in Russia; but before
that time, when Nihilism was rampant
and refugees were coming here by the
shiplOad, the imperial government had
small army of spies all over the world to
keep track of the movements of exiled
revolutionary leaders. 1t was their bust
ness 10 ingratiate themselves with the
suspects, pretend sympathy with the
cause. and post the officials as to any
mischief that might be Matching abroad.
Plenty Of that exciting work has gone on
right under our noses in this very city
"A number of years ago to cite a case
in point, which can't harm anybody at
present. / made the acquaintance of a
little Russian matchmaker who lived on
bourbon street, and was a remarkably
We'll educated and interesting fellow We
meet 50 many well-eGucated foreigners
however III all kinds of stations that I
or the commonplace in this mans history
until one day, when We were taking din
ner together. he suddenly burst into tears
Was astonlshed. and he told me. in much
agitation, that the day was the anniVar-
sary OF the death of his brother. and that
ne mad been trying in vain all morning
10 control himself. The brother WIS
hanged at St Petersburg for cOmpliCitv
III lne ASSASSINATION OF the Gar Once
the Ice was broken, the little man made
me TO some extent his confidant. and /
learned many curious things abOut the
Nlhllist refugees. He was the son O. a
RUSSIAN gentleman of wealth bur. like
most children of the upper classes had
been taught a trade Consequently he I
had matchmaking 10 fall back on when
ne was forced TO fly with many other rav-
olutionlsts. after the Gar was killed
However, to get back to the secret
service Ihert We're at that time Zen rr
dozen NlhlllSt refugees In New Orleans
ana tney used 10 meet regularly in a room
on Cont street to talk things over ON
day a new exile turned up in the person
oI young man who claimed 10 have been
run out OF MuscoW as d suspect He Uas
not a member Of the order but he nrn
1essed warm sympathy for il. and was |
gradually accepted as a c0mrade nv the !
o!htrs ! used 10 hear a great deal about I
him from the little matchmaker. who vs.
naturally generous and unsusDiciOuS and
hdd been impressed by his zeal and an |
thuSlasm. That sort of thing went on FOR I
four or five months. Then one night nv I
friend the Nihilist came TO me i'm great /
excitement and told me the new recruit
was a Russian spy. | couldn't believe il .
IL sounded too melOdramatic bur h.
showed me a letter that was copvincine,
It came from reliable correspondent in .
Germany. incIosed the fellows photo
graph. and gave his complete record He
was secret agent Of some note LuckiIy
he hadn't been taken into fun confidence
30 ne had learned nothing worth telling.
and While the others were debating xns+
10 do with him he suddenly took Inc alarm
ana decamped between suns Had ne re- |
malned he would undoubtedly have r,ct
with an accident. and | suppose / yvouId
have been an accessory before the fa.f
Ihat was one case that came under nv
personal observation. On another ocra-
sion Russian spy came here To locate a |
couple 81 NlhlilstS who had been Journal /
lists IN st Petersburg. He found one of
them working In shoe shop. disclosed his
idehllty frank y, ana Jold the refugee 10
De perfectly Tranquil. He said h.. vs. Z
sending in fake reports to the Government /
simply 10 gel expense money and uro I
posed that they work up d big NihIlist
scare and divide what they could squeeze
out OF the secret service bureau The
was politely declined | saw
the fellows paper and credentials myself.
they were undoubtedly genuine.
The expense OF maintaining such a
service must have been enormous. ana
]ne can imagine -he elaborate espiorIas.
hat was no doubt maintained in some 81
ne Northern cities which have larg. PU.-
IAN colonies There were very few traitors
among the Nlhilists Themselves and DIR
ng my acquaintance with the local srour,
knew or but one instance Of that Kind I
mad most dramatic dsnguerueuf ,
4 man who had betrayed several of bis
in Russia came 10 This countr,
or safety, and. II / remember rights
irst settled in Mobile His presence ug.,s
Known 10 the brotherhood. which siropIv .
gnOred MIN, and, Il matter Of fact ne ,
Vas IN no da1ger whatever bar rEs oil .
ain was t0rmenied By the fear az retri
,uJiOn- and the idea finally deyeIoped in, )
IN absolute mania He left Nof,ite md
vent from one place 10 another ACCESSION Z
.Ay appealing 70 The police for protection .
nd hnally landed al Galveston / heard
y lHs cast tifough the newspaper ana
skHd my friend confidently whether fbe
nan was really sot TO be molested .N5t
n the least. he piled: We cant affor5
o get into trouble over him and besjdes Z
We foei sale m leaving him 10 his CON .
clthce- As events proved. they were Z
Iuite right The badgered. phapforo-
iaUnted wretch cTtpt into the corner m !,
dcaEt lot ana shot himself through fte
leart- 20 YOU see there H. a good deal ~
nsuspscted drama and tragedy beneath ,
he prOsAic surface Of everyday ne - =
T We knew only a fraction OF V,bst l. -
NJ on all around u. / dare say We ovo,,I5
ose our taste for the theater and fbe
cFel / speak somewhat freely ~ me-.
NperlenCess because my little friend - 4
'dtchmsk cT mas been dead the -,
dozen years, poor fellow. ana T dolIst
Whether 2 single one OF his OH co,ore., J
l 1ns IN misfortune Is stiii living n Neg