Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21
PARTISAN SECRET POLICE.
Strangers in the City Constantly
Watched and Acts Recorded.
From Success.


About the words, "the secret police"
there is pretty air of mystery. They
summon up pictures Of cloaked figures, of
men waiting in dark alleyways and Of
>stealthy steps behind the curtains of corri-
doris. They are woven into nine-tenths of
popular French felton, The woman con-
eierge, summing herself in what Partisan
doorway you please. feeds her Imagination
on tales of multiple DISCUSSES. For her
the agent de la surete,. who comes to in
auire about her lodgers is dark with mys-
terry; he is of the secret police AS a
matter of fact, this branch of the police,
though dressed in plain clothes is not at
all occult 1t has tpido with plain and
simple crimes. Mostiof the agents OF he
surete are old soldiers, honorable men. They
are supplemented, however, 5by band of
quasi police, known as Indicators. These
people, who are permanent auxiliaries of
the service, are recruited among the street
fakirs and masterless rogues who foregath-
in Paris.
But behind these humdrum agents and
those gloomy outcasts, their aids, there
is a mighty and mysterious secret po-
lice" about which not one Partisan in a
hundred has definite knowledge. The real
secret police-today, as under the empire
is that which is known as the Brigade dcS
Recherches-that is, the brigade of investi
CATION. The members of this force are re-
cruited in a far higher rank of society than
the fellows of the surete. Indeed, there is
no classroom the old nobility to the new
feudalfty of tinance-which does not con-
tribute this occult system of espionage. 1t
Is not my purpose here to describe in de-
tail the many ramitications of this ancient
and potent order of spies.
foreigner IN France, If he associates
frequently with people of Importance, comes
in time to know them well. They follow
nim in his comings and gongs, report upon
his acts and opinions and sift his life with
care unknown In our careless republic.
One of those who was sent out on my trail
L came to know very well. What l was sus-
pected of l know not, though during the
troublous days of the Dreyfus case L fra
terniZed with many men-one of whom, the
Comte du Temple, an eX-deputy, was an ag-
gressive royalist. Anyway, my spy and l
came to know each other very well. He
played good game of billiards and was a
companionable gentleman.
a little later DR.. w. j. OSullivan, the
assistant corporation counsel of New York,
visited ME in Paris. He was greatly inter-
eSted in the secret police. l could hardly
persuade him that from the moment we met
and shook hands in theYGare du Nord until
his departure from the Care st. LaZare
every act of his had been noted. I got the
evidence from my friend (my own pet spy
in the Brigade deS RechercheS. The doc
tors record was singularly complete. He
had not spoken with a man, he had not
chatted with a woman,he had not dined out
or breakfasted In my garden, he had net
bought a pair of yellow gloves, unseen by
some ubiquitous spy. The amazed gentle
man, when he learned how close had been
the watch on him, shuddered as If he had
walked In peril. and went back to New
this police net that not even a casual Wis
itor slips through. .---...- ..--.. ...---