The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-08-08
WHISPERS AGAINST THEM.
Bearded Foreigners In Crowds Al
ways Under Suspicion.


only to satisfy your curiosity as to
what a real czar looked like. The
same curiosity would surely lead you
to make special efforts to get a
glimpse at the emperor of Germany, If
he were to come out to attend some
public function, and you would not
pass up the chance to shake the hand
of most any other ruler of renown.
And ii is for the same reason that so
many foreigners who emigrate to the
United States like to catch sight of
our president when he goes visiting,
and as result of their enthusiasm
usually land in the police stations as
suspicious characters there to stay un-
til the nations chief has got beyond
their reach. They have not learned
how to show respectful curiosity.
When President Roosevelt arrived
in Canton to attend the funeral OF
Mrs. Ida Saxton Mckinley 1t was only
natural that large crowd should be
at the station to greet him. In all
of the thousands there assembled
there was only one man placed under
suspicion of the secret service men
who were on hand to guard the Pres
ident against cranks. This individual
was to all appearance a Russian blue
eyed, stockiy built and wearing an i'm
mense crop Of brown whiskers. He
had gone to the station nearly three
hours before the Presidents train
arrived. Not much attention was paid
to him then, but it was recalled after
ward that the police had to tell him
several times to get out of their way.
AS the crowd gathered he always
managed to keep in the front rank,
up against the ropes, stolid, watchful,
patient. Once he was seen to get
around to a position where he could
look into the station. 1t was also
recalled afterward that he had been
seen everywhere through the crowds
at some time or other during the few
hours the crowd fingered.
i've been watching that man over
there" said one of the members of the
local committee that had called to es-
cort the president to the home Of JUS
tice William R. Day, to a secret SER
vice officer, pointing to the interested,
watching Russian.
When the officer approached the man
he naturally went about the job care
fully The foreigner was alarmed and
fidgeted. One of those frightened, i'm
ploring grins spread over his face. He
couldn't make out why the officer was
wanting to know why he happened to
be there, and went feeling about over
his person, even to the extent of run
pockets. Such bold attempt at pock-
ct picking right in broad daylight and
while he was in the midst of his
friends, was an experience the foreign
er had never ever heard of before. His
alarm was agonizing for a few min
utes.
Finally he managed to stammer out
in broken English that he had come
to see the President, merely to look at
him from a distance. Did he want to
kill him? No, no; the foreigner near
ly tainted. He merely wanted "to see
president" The same wish that ami
mated the thousands Of others.
well, your whiskers are little
against you, but l guess you're all
right" said the officer finally.
The man with the whiskers, having
been pronounced all right, fingered
with the crowd to his hearts content.
He was in the front ranks when the
President finally arrived, and when the
crowds began to cheer the foreigner
looked at policeman who was not
then busily engaged.
you may cheer too, whiskers!"
said the officer, and the Russian let
out series Of yells that would have
done credit to Cossack.
Speaking OF the incident afterward,
one of the secret service men said
1--WE, perhaps, have no good reason
for it, but we usually watch foreign
ers with shaggy boards, closer tnan
we do others. Maybe it's because all
the pictures printed of Nihilists and
dangerous anarchists are ornamented
with boards. At any rate, we can't
take any chances, whiskers or no
whiskers.
"Yes," he continued, foreigners ex-
cite our suspicious more than others,
when they gather In crowds that as
semble to meet the President; but as
rule they are we'll behaved. It's
only their eagerness to satisfy their
curiosity that gets them into trouble.
suppose, however, they act Just about
the way we would II we were in some
foreign land and had a chance to get
a free glimpse of the ruler. Only, as
said before, some of the foreigners let
their eagerness to see the president
OF the United States get away with
their discretion. And then we have
to look after them-just because we're
not taking any chances"
Lord Cromer says that Egyptians