The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-28
RUSSIA'S SPY SYSTEM
EVERY PERSON IN THE COUNTRY
VIRTUALLY UNDER SURVEILLANCE.
Four Distinct Departments of the Po-
lice Service, Which Is the Most
Complete in the World.

W f. Curtis's st. Petersburg Letter in
Chicago Record-Herald.
The Russian government has the most ex-
tensive and complete police system in the
world there being four separate and dis
tinct departments. Each is independent Of
the others and has it's own director, but
all are under the supervision of the same
head, Privy Councillor Sidaguine. the min
mister Of the interior. The first is the ordi-
nary force of patrolmen, such as are found
in every city, to maintain order and prevent
and punish crime. 1t is composed of veteran
soldiers. who wear military uniforms and
carry sabers instead of clubs.
The second is that of the dvorniks, or
doorkeepers of apartment houses in Rus
sian cities Everybody lives in. an apart
ment house, which has but one entrance,
in charge Of a man who is appointed by
the police, but paid by the owner. 1t is his
business to keep the premises in proper
condition, TO represent the landlord in his
relations with the tenant, to collect the
rent, to oversee repairs, to prevent the
abuse and unnecessary damage Of the prop
erty and at the same time to serve the
tenants in various capacities far as he
NAV do so without neglectng his other
duties He receives all the mail and pack
ages that come TO the house and distributes
them. 1t is his duty to that each ten
ant has proper passport, and if anything
suspicious occurs he is required 10 report
it promptly to the nearest police head
quarters.
In short, he is spy whose employers re-
qure him to know all about everybody who
lives under the roof of the house of which
he has charge. Often he is a blackmailer
and EFFORTS money from tenants who have
something to conceal Sometimes-more
often ten years ago than now-he oetrdys
, innocent people into the hands OF the police
upon false charges for vengeance or be-
cause they refuse to pay for his protection.
The dvornik wears a uniform similar 10
that OF the regular police, and his gray
overcoat with scarlet trimmings ana MS
military cap are always hanging In the ha'l-
way when he is on duty. There arc not
less than 10000 dvorniks in st. Petersburg.
as many more in Moscow, and CORE
spending number in other Russian cities.
THE GENDARMERIE.
The third system is the gendarmerie, a
body of special agents scattered all over
the empire, one or two in every canton,
who are superior to the regular police and
are authorized to call upon them at any
time for assistance. They are well known
to the public, wear a distinguishing uniform
and serve as general inspectors of public
affairs to see that the revenues are honestly
collected that the office holders perform
their duties properly and that the eolcls Oh
the Emperor are oDeyed.
This system was organized by Emperor
Nicholas | early in the last century Nhen
ii was reported to him that there was a
large amount OF corruption in the different
branches of the government he called the
procuratOr general and announced his de-
termination 10 hang every man VINO mad
sfF1nV rsah
your Ma iesty will not be able TO fill the
offices" replied the prOcurator general, but
Nicholas said he would try. and selecting
the most honest men he could ma he sent
them through the empire to inspect the ac-
counts and the conduct OF his othclals.
From, that time the system dates, and 1t
has always been maintained.
Then comes the hated and hateful third
section as it is called. the unknown spies.
and commercial Russia. They are every
where and number hundreds of thousands,
although at present their activity is not so
great as il during the nihilistic prose
cutiOns during the first part Of the reign of
Alexander Ill Women in the highest So
ciety. MOBILES lawyers, merchants, clerks in
banks and mercantile houses, operatives in
factories, walters in the hotels and cafes,
drosky drivers, peddlers, courtesans, house
| servants, everybody was suspected of be-
| longing to the much feared third section.
| but no one would ever confess IL. In all the
capitals of Europe were representatives of
| the third section of the Russian police, and
| their 1ntr1gueS have been popular subject
| for sensational novels.
These spies are not usually paid regular
| salaries, but are rewarded for information
| furnished according to its value or services
| they are called upon TO render If they Oh
tain information concerning the corruption
| of public officer or suspicious conduct on
| the part of a citizen, they report it to the
| police official under whose authority they
are acting, and are paid by him If any
| particular person is under surveillance. or
| plot is suspected i'm any quarter those
no ho iI-olx~ T. -
nation are notified and receive instructions.
ALL WORK IN HARMONY
| These several systems of police all work
| i'm harmony. and with the passport regula-
tons the office of the interior at St Peters
burg is supposed to know the whereabouts
and the disposition OF every person in the
empire at all times. AS l told you the other
| day, every citizen of Russia is required to
have a passport. and every traveller or Wis
itor must report himself to police headauar-
ters Immediately after his arrival, and
| notify the police at least twenty-tour hours
preceding his departure. This is easily
| done. If he stops at hotel it is only
necessary for him to hand his passport to
the porter and ask for a permit to remain
| ten days, or as long as he likes; or if he
! stops with friends or at a private boarding
house the dvornik will attend TO the mat
| ter for him. When he decides upon the date
| of his departure he gives notice to the
porter or the dvOrnik, who takes his pass
| port to police headquarters and has it
| stamped with permission to leave the city
| by certain route for a certain destination.
| When he purchases his ticket at the rail
way station he may be required to show
| this permit. and if he changes his plans
| without notifying the police he is likely to
| have trouble.
The police regulations are not enforced
| now nearly strictly as they were when
| 1 was in Russia thirteen years ago. and
| even then there was no trouble to comply
with them. provided person was willing TO
| submit Those who refused 10 do so, or
| neglected the requirements, very soon re-
/ GREETED il.
The political conditions in Russia to-day
| are such as TO justify the relaxation of po-
| lice supervision. Nihlism is practically ex-
t;nct. The punishment of crime is also
| much less severe than formerly, and the
| treatment Of prisoners is more humane
| The prevailing crime is larceny. There
are no such thieves as the Russians ex-
| cept perhaps the Arabs. There is only
| one honest official in all my empire said
| Nicholas l. and that is myself" Cor
ruption and bribery were formerly uni
versal, but / understand there has been
| great Improvement within the last few
years. In every factory where goods are
! made that can be easily stolen the en-
| plOyes are searched every day before they
leave the building. In every town of any
/ size there is what is called the Thieves
/ Market 10 which burglars. pickpOckets
sneak thieves and servants who pilfer car
merchants, mostly of the Jewish per
\ suasiOn.
THIEVES MARKETS.
| The Thieves Market in ST. Petersburg is
an enormous building. covering an entire
L