Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-07-18
Under Suspicion.

Colonel Jayne Of Massachusetts had
the honor on one occasion Of befriend-
ing and entertaining Colonel Swartz
OF the Royal German artillery. This
was in London, where they were both
strangers and both happened to be
stopping at the same hotel. The Ger
man colonel was assaulted and robbed
ON the street in the evening, and for
week, or until he could send for money.
be was the guest of the American
There was something rather queer
about the incident The two gentle
men were "slumming" when a public
carriage suddenly halted beside them
and two men sprang to the ground and
attacked the German, while a third I
sought to hold back the American,
The attempt was made to force the
German into the carriage, and 1t might
have been that his money was lost
| during the struggle. The American
fought for his companion, and the fell
lows were finally driven of. 1t looked
more like case of attempted abduc-
ton than of a holdup, but as the Ger
man argued the other way the Amer
lean had to he satisfied.
It was five years before the two met
again. This time 1t was on the Ger
man frontier. and both were bound
for st. Petersburg. Colonel Jayne was
travelling for pleasure; the other ex-
planned that he was on secret mission
| for his government. He made this ex-
| PLANTATION because he had shaved Off
his Iuxuriant whlskers and was other
wise disguised and recognition was ac-
cidental Colonel Swartz was well ac-
quainted in the capital city. and it was
/ arranged that the two should stop at
the same hotel and take in the sights
together They did take adjoining
rooms ON their arrival. but the German
said that he would be busy for two
or three days and left 1t to the other
to End his way about alone.
i Next morning after arrival Colonel
Jayne set out with Yankee impotence
to see the sights. Three times during
the forenoon strangers approached him
and muttered some words. They were
Russians who evidently belonged to
the middle class and in each case the
colonel thought they were inquiFing
their way. He therefore shook his
head and passed on. During the after
noon he discovered that his footsteps
were being logged. but he took this
rather as u joke than otherwise. He
| -. T. 4. ,1Ct
at dinner time and then found couple
OF police officers waiting to arrest him.
They had already visited his rooms
and overhauled his baggage. Colonel
Swartz was missing and had been
since noon. His baggage had also been
overhauled. and the officers seemed
. much chagrined at the mans escape.
Colonel Jayne had known absolutely
nothing of the German before meeting
him at the hotel in London. He had
taken the man for what he claimed to
be. He had no idea that he was an
impostor. so far as name and rank
went. and that he was one Of the most
active nihilsts In or out of Russia.
The three men that had approached
the American on the streets probably
belonged TO that order as well. The
German happened to be returning to
, Russia at that time. and accident had
. discovered the two men to each other
After being under examination for
i, half a day Colonel Jayne was sent to
an official higher up. Here he was met
by the papers taken from his baggage
He had made a months stay In Lon
don before starting for Russia and had
received several letters from friends
!. at home. One Of them had loosely
written:
"Don't forget that the first thing to
be done on your arrival in St. Peters
burg is to call on the emperor and give
! him my love and tell him to hang on
to his job as long as the pay comes in
every Saturday night"
How can you. person entirely I'M
! known here. secure audience with his
majestyT' was asked.
!. II can't, Of course" was the reply.
"Then why should this person have
: thus written?''
He Is what we call a joker"
Joker Joker7 Does he dare hold
!, his majesty up to ridiculel And you
! are to give his love to the car of all
Russia, just as one peasant woman
sends her love to anOthert And how is
this about holding his job2 What does
job meanY'
! His place. sir
"But his majesty's place is the high
: est In the land, and to speak Of 1t as
: . job Is to speak with disrespect.
And the pay every Saturday night, as
II the great car was but a common
: laborerF'
Il shall take great pleasure In telling
I the writer of that letter what an ass
! be Is the very first thing when I get
|. home" replied the colonel.
And here Is another letter In which
! you are advised not to make any ex-
! cursions to Siberia in the winter sea-
som panplA 0ra S,,,E a., -