New-York tribune., 1903-03-08

this city, was once a socialist, and narrowly
escaped Imprisonment for his views in Germany
before he came to this country. Success" pub
Iislles an interesting interview with Mr.. Stein
metz, who says among other things:
Il was twenty years old when 1 became con-
nected with the Social Democratic party. We
used to meet in different rooms and discuss
Social Democracy. We talked of revolutionizing
the world without any consideration OF feasi-
biIity, just as young men likely to do; but,
for all that, it was very interesting. It really
did me a great deal Of good, though now, you
see, I have somewhat reformed began to
learn more about men, and studied workngmen,
their ways OF living, etc. 1 wanted to know
how they look at things. OF course, all this So
ciaIistic business was secret. 1t happened that
the editor of the socialist paper there was sus-
pected and imprisoned, and. without the knowI-
edge of my father, 1 became editor of the paper
There was quite band of US, and, to divert the
police. got Polish fish yender to be re-
corded as the responsible editor. The fish yend-
er could not read or write, but We arranged to
give him, as compensation, the left over copies
of the paper.
For several months. while I student, I
the editor of three publications-the weekly
socialist paper, a weekly issue Of Popular Sci
ence Leaflets and The Popular Science Fort
nightly Part of the time, however, the latter
two papers did not appear, because OF difficulties
with the printer and the paper dealer. None or
the writer's for any of the publications was paid
for his work, and never received a cent for
mine It was done for the good OF the cause
and for amusement.
Finally, the police confscated the socialist
paper. They arrested the supposed editor, the
Polish herring man, and wrote out a statement
70. him to sign, but he could not write his own
name. He and several others, among them my
electrical engineer friend, were thrown into
prison. and the government officials were sure
they had all the leaders and that the movement
had been efectuaIy broken UP. Shortly after
ward we reorganized the paper and went on
as before. Few of the real leaders had been
discovered.
I'VE found very ingenious way to communi~
cate with the prisoners. A friend Of mine, who
was imprisoned with the rest, was at the time
preparing his graduation thesis He was al
lowed to send out to nc for some literature
the subject. Among other things he asked for
was matter about certain electrical constant.
Instead Of the customary denOtatiOn OF the
constant Cthe Greek letter K), he wrote the
chemical formula, Mach I at noticed this,
and guessed that he had written something on
the paper in salt; so 1 dipped the paper in a
silver solution, and enabled to read his
letter to me. We were then allowed to send
him some solutions to use in cleaning his teeth.
I .Iso managed to send him in some bIotting
ps per which had previously been dipped in some
chemical. 1 would then write him letter in
this chemical and he would dip it in the tooth
wash and develop it. In this manner we cor
responded regularly. and by this means my
friend was enabled to send and receive love
letters to and from his fiancee. The correspond
ence was absolutely reliable, and was never de-
tected We were kept informed Of what was
going on in the prison. and. when the police
examined outside Witnesses, We were enabled