The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-12-13
WHERE PHOTOGRAPHY
MEANS DEATH PENALTY
Possession of Picture of Cars Private Court Yard
Sends Three Men to Gallows.

Three emissaries of the Japanese
government caught taking photo
graphs within the walls of American
fortresses recently, were arrested but
dismissed with scolding.
Three subjects of the car of Rus
STA, who were merely supposed to have
obtained a photograph of a courtyard
in the Emperors summer home, must
90 to the gallows for their offense.
The three Japanese wanted the pho
tographs of the American fortifica-
tiOns for one purpose only. They were
preparing in time of peace for the
war which strategists say may come
some day. and the photographs which
they sought would come in handy in
future years when the army and navy
of the mikado planned the destruction
Of the forces of the United States.
Among the military powers across the
sea, the little brown spies might have
been fined or imprisoned, at least they
would have got of with their lives. In
this country the incident embarrassed
the officers OF the fort for few hours,
and in one instance caused the deten
tion of the photographer for day.
That was all.
Why did the three unfortunate Rus
SLAMS want picture OF the Little
White Fathers" summer residence
beautiful Peterhof palace? To this
there is but one answer from Russia's
police. Possession of the fatal picture
in their eyes was prima facie evidence
Of plot to kill the emperor-for Pc
terhof, with all its glories, its pictur
esque gardens, which would delight
the heart of the peaceful camera
fend," is the cars private fortress.
Here only is he considered safe during
the summer months when he leaves
Tsarkoe-Selo. his winter home, for a
quiet retreat from the cares of his
work at the capital.
But wherever he goes the shadow of
a sinister figure with bomb, re-
volver or knife hovers over him,
and SO frenzied are his protectors that
suspicion cast upon supposed plotter
Is equivalent to conviction with it's at
tendant Punishment or death
Details of the latest plot unearth-
ed by the secret police who are charg-
ed with the emperor's safety. have.
gradually leaked through the close
meshed net of censorship which is
woven about Russian officialdom
A few months ago the horde of
guards at Peterhof heard rlmors of
plan to kill the emperor as he walked
in the beautiful palace gardens. They
hear these rumors every day; then it
is the chief concern of the minister of
police and his army of sleuths to prove
the rumors true and report proudly to
the emperor that they have saved his
life once more. So, acting along the
usual lines laid down by the cars po-
lice, the officials began to arrest every
one in sight about the palace. When
they came to sift the evidence" they
found eighteen persons whom they
thought they could try by court mar
tial
The inQuisition conferred about Boris
Nikitenko, retired naval lieutenant.
The police testified that they had
searched him after his arrest and that
they had found in one of his pockets a
photograph of the interior of the pri-
vate courtyard at Peterhof where the
car was wont to stroll on fine days.
1t did not develop that Nikitenko had
taken the picture himself, but the po-
lice asserted that there was no record
Of the picture. that 1t was taken sur