The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-08-25
Under Suspicion.

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 be could send for money.
he was the guest Of the American.
There was something rather queer
about the incident. The two gentle
men were stunning" wlfsn a public
carriage suddenly halted beside them
and two men sprang to the ground and
attacked the German, while third
sought to hold back the American.
The attempt was made to force the
German into the carriage, and II 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 a case of attempted abduc-
ton than Of holdup. but as the Ger
man argued the other way the Amer
lean had to be satisfied.
1t was Ave 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 a secret mission
for his government He made this ex.
PLANTATION because he had shaved of
his luxuriant whiskers and was other
wise disguised and recognition was &C
eidental. Colonel Swartz was well &C.
quainted in the capital city, and 1t 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 II to the other
to find his way about alone.
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 70
the middle class, and In each case the
colonel thought they We're inquiring
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 a. a joke than otherwise. He
did not return 10 his hotel until just
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 az the hotel IN London. He had
taken the man for what he claimed to
he. 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 nihilists 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
half a day Colonel Jayne was sent TO
an official higher up. Here he was met
by the papers taken from bis baggage.
lie 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
he done on your arrival IN 81. 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. a person entirely IN
known here, secure audience with his
majestyT' was asked.
Fl can't, Of course" was the reply.
Then why should this person have
thus writtenT'
"He Is what We call joker"
Joker? Jokerf Does he dare hold
his majesty up 10 rIdlcuIe! And y0u
are to give his love 10 the car OF all
Russia, just as one peasant woman
sends her love 90 another! And how IL
this about holding his job? What does
job meanY'
Ellis place. sir"
"But his majesty's place il the high.
est In the land, and to speak Of Il ~
Job Is to speak with dIsrespect.
And the pas every Saturday night, as
II the great car was but a common
laborer.'
II shall take great pleasure In telling
the writer NJ that letter what an ass
be is the very first thing when get
home" replied the colonel
"And here II another letter In which
you are advised not 90 make any ex.
cursIons 10 Siberia In the winter sea.
son. People are sent 10 Siberia for
eerfnus offences against the law. Were