Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-02-24
sessssssssssssssessssssse,
|: The Fate of a Spy.
. now Russian Circle Handled
. One Of Them.

icopyright 1909. by American Press Asso-
ciation.
We don't realize here in America
how many undercurrents there are Of
foreign influences. For instance. we
nave thousands of Russian political
refugees among us. and we have bup-
dreds or Russian government spies to
watch them. We are as unconsclct,,
ok the plot and counterplot constantly
going on between these two foreign
classes as we are of the vast traffic In
the subways underlying the city of
New York. 1t is only when we 90
down there that we see life and mo-
ton. such as are above. and 1t is only
when one gets the confidence of n
Russian refugee that he Is introduced
to this constant war between them
and the spies.
Fate led me to such an Introduction
and enabled me to tell this story. One
morning, having injured my watch, I
stopped at watchmaker's shop to
have it repaired. l found there-I
VIII call him Ivan Alexieff-a Russian
and went there afterward quite fire.
quently to get him to do little Jobs
for me. One morning found him
with his head resting in his arms on
his work table sobbing convulsively.
Then came his confidence. He told
me that the year before on that day
his brother had been executed In st.
Petersburg for completely with a plot
to assassinate the car. Ivan Alexiefr
at the same time fed to the United
states. He was gentleman born
and, In accordance with a custom
among his peers to educate their chill
dren to some trade, had learned to be
matchmaker. There were four 9TH
er refugees, with whom he met at
stated periods for consultation with 4
view Of their mutual protection. Not
one Of them but had lost some rela-
tive either by the executioner or In the
desolate wilds of Siberia.
! became deeply interested in Alex
lei, and he came to confide In me as
implicitly as In his fellow refugees.
Indeed. did some detective work for
him In this wise: found him one
morning In great tribulation. He told
me that some time before a refugee
had come to the place and been admit
ted to their circle. They now suspect
ed that he was a spy In the pay Of the
Russian government. The man passed
under the name Of Obiendoff and kept
a little cake and candy shop.
i agreed to make the acquaintance
Of Obiendon and see II I could get his
confidence and his secret. I picked up
shop. bought him candy and chatted
with the owner. This repeated often,
talked bitterly Of assasslns In Russia
and in time told him l knew Of several
circles OF refugees In that very town.
When I told him of the one did
and It was not long before went to
my friend the matchmaker with I'M
doubted proof that the suspect was
Spy. ~
A plan was laid. and meeting Of
the circle was called, at which the spy
was present. The leader locked the
door and announced to the members
that one Of their number was . spy.
He then submitted a declaration to
every member stating that he had vol
unfairly committed suicide. All signed
the paper. the spy maintaining good
nerve and signing with the others. He
must have known that he was suspect
ed.
The leaders next move was to take
a pistol from a desk drawer and show
the members that It's six chambers
were empty. After this he put ball
cartridge in one chamber and. hold
ing the hammer. turned the cylinder
rapidly. giving every member permits
sion to do the same with averted gaze.
Thus the position of the cartridge was
lost. The leader then took the pistol
and slipped a rubber band over the
cylinder, holding the weapon under
the table while he did so. presumably
that no one could see where the car
fridge lay. Then be said:
zone Of US must die, and the spy.
whoever he may me. must take bis
chances with us. l will fire the first
shot ut myself and IL not killed will
pass the weapon to my left. each man
to fire his In turn"
Raising the pistol to his temple, he
drew the trigger. There was a snap,
but no explosion. The second man did
the same with the same result, and so
on till the pistol came to the fourth
man. the spy. He was white as
sheet, but still held his nerve. Posi-
bly, he conceived the affair bluff
that the cartridge was sham. At
any rate. putting the pistol to his tenn
pie. he pulled the trigger and fell
dead.
The next morning the papers con-
tanned an account Of suicide of
stranger, supposed to be a Russian
The deed was committed in room the
renter Of which did not appear, but
the suicide left a paper acknowledging